Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell led the inaugural U.S.-Nigeria Technology Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on January 10, hosting a senior delegation from the Nigerian government led by the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani.
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| Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani | Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell. Photo: @DeputySecState |
This event built on the momentum of Deputy Secretary Campbell’s visit to Abuja for the sixth U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) co-hosted with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar on April 29-30, 2024, the U.S. Department of State and Government of Nigeria-funded “Global Inclusivity and Artificial Intelligence (AI)” event held in Lagos on September 9-11, 2024, and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) AI event hosted by the U.S. Department of State on September 23, 2024, in which Nigerian Minister Tijani participated.
The U.S.-Nigeria Technology Dialogue is designed to enhance bilateral cooperation in critical technology sectors, seize opportunities in technology and innovation, and strengthen interagency collaboration and stakeholder engagement in both countries.
Kicking off the Technology Dialogue, the United States and Nigeria signed a new $2,095,000 grant to assess the viability of the deployment of at least 90,000 km of new fiber optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria. The project, funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, supports Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 with the goal to increase the country’s broadband penetration rate from 42.27 percent to 70 percent and to ensure that at least 90 percent of Nigeria’s population has access to affordable and reliable broadband coverage. state.gov
