Nigeria, Sierra Leone Sign Major Digital Agreements as Tijani Leads Trade Mission

Nigeria has strengthened its regional digital ties after the 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, resulting in several landmark Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at advancing innovation, cybersecurity, and cross-border digital trade.

The two-day mission further underscored Nigeria’s expanding role in shaping West Africa’s digital landscape, following Dr. Tijani’s participation in the Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in Benin Republic.

Activities in Freetown included ecosystem visits, high-level government engagements, and technical sessions centered on digital public infrastructure, broadband expansion, artificial intelligence development, and private sector partnerships.

Both countries reaffirmed commitments to regional digital integration, youth-driven innovation, improved connectivity and the growth of an inclusive digital economy in West Africa.

Dr. Tijani said:
“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.”

The agreements signed cover areas including digital public infrastructure, broadband development, spectrum collaboration, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, talent development, and institutional capacity building.

Nigerian and Sierra Leonean private sector companies also sealed partnerships across fintech, edtech, healthtech, cloud services and start-up exchange programmes.

Participating companies included IHS Towers, Flutterwave, CcHUB, Miden, Cybervergent, Prunedge, Itana and Awarri, all engaged in business matchmaking sessions aimed at expanding digital services and fostering cross-border innovation.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Salima Monorma Bah, praised the collaboration, saying it would accelerate the country’s digital transformation. She also highlighted the long-standing ties between both nations and the potential to build on shared history to advance Africa’s digital economy.

The Nigerian delegation also included Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA; Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, MD/CEO of Galaxy Backbone; Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, National Coordinator of NCAIR; and Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation.

Both governments reiterated their resolve to deepen cooperation, expand digital infrastructure and develop a unified West African innovation ecosystem capable of driving economic resilience and shared prosperity.

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