Nigeria, Sierra Leone sign landmark digital MoUs as Tijani leads trade mission
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By Progress Godfrey, Abuja
Nigeria has deepened its regional digital cooperation after the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, led a high-level delegation to Sierra Leone for the Nigeria–Sierra Leone Digital Economy Bilateral Trade Mission, sealing multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to boost innovation, cybersecurity and cross-border digital trade.
The two-day mission reinforced Nigeria’s growing influence in shaping West Africa’s digital future, coming shortly after Dr Tijani participated in the Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in the Republic of Benin.
The engagements in Freetown featured ecosystem tours, government-level meetings, and technical sessions focused on digital public infrastructure, broadband expansion, artificial intelligence development, and private-sector collaboration.
Both governments reaffirmed shared commitments to regional digital integration, youth innovation, resilient connectivity and the long-term development of a more inclusive West African digital economy.
“Nigeria remains fully committed to enabling a more harmonised, secure, and innovative digital region. Our partnership with Sierra Leone is not only a bilateral engagement but also part of a broader vision to ensure that technology, talent, and trade flow seamlessly across our continent.
“Together, we are laying the foundations for a digital economy that empowers our young people and creates shared prosperity,” said the minister.
The agreements signed by both countries covered digital public infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, spectrum collaboration, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, as well as talent development and institutional capacity building.
Private sector players from Nigeria and Sierra Leone also entered partnership deals targeting fintech, edtech, healthtech, cloud infrastructure and start-up exchange initiatives.
Companies including IHS Towers, Flutterwave, CcHUB, Miden, Cybervergent, Prunedge, Itana and Awarri took part in business matchmaking meetings designed to strengthen cross-border innovation and expand digital services across both markets.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Salima Monorma Bah, welcomed the partnership and highlighted its potential to accelerate her country’s digital transformation.
She noted the long-standing relationship between the two countries and the opportunity to build on their shared history to advance the continent’s digital economy.
According to her, the cooperation provides a strong platform for deeper integration, stronger institutional capacity and wider digital participation for young people and businesses.
The Nigerian delegation included heads of key digital agencies such as Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency; Prof Ibrahim Adeyanju, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Galaxy Backbone; Dr Olubunmi Ajala, National Coordinator of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; and Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation.
Both governments reaffirmed commitments to deepen collaboration, expand digital infrastructure and drive a unified West African innovation ecosystem that supports economic resilience and shared prosperity.
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