Nigerian Government Unveils $609m Fund For Tech Entrepreneurs

The Nigerian government has launched a fund of $609 million for tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria over the next four years. The Minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed this at the 2023 Nordic Nigeria Connect in Lagos, SouthWest , Nigeria. Dr. Tijani said the biggest contributor of services is telecommunication hence the country should build partnerships that would help its citizens get there. “In a connected world, our role is to build relationships with countries, organisation with innovation and a body of knowledge. Nigeria doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel in what is already known in other countries but we can leverage the opportunity,” he added. According to the minister, the government should build a country that we need to see, which is not just the role of government but also the private sector. “The role of criticism of the government should be to make the government learn, hence we should criticise with facts and evidence to let the government be better.” Recall that former vice president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, in March, launched a $600 million programme for young Nigerians in the technology and creative sectors with a call on African governments and the private sector to do more to support the growth of innovation in the continent. Olusola Akintonde