Connectivity, Digital Inclusion Key To Securing Nigeria’s Borders — Tijani
By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has said Nigeria can only achieve lasting security by extending digital connectivity beyond its borders and digitally integrating neighbouring countries.
Tijani spoke on Friday in Abuja at the 2025 Minister, Regulator and Telecom Executives Forum organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), alongside its Excellence Awards Night.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s prosperity, food security and national security are directly tied to the country’s digital infrastructure and connectivity.
“If we must secure our country digitally, we must also connect our neighbours,” he said. “We cannot fix food security without connectivity. We cannot tackle insecurity without ubiquitous connectivity.”
Tijani noted that Nigeria’s geographical position, bordered by Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, makes seamless digital integration across West Africa critical to managing cross-border security challenges.
“Our vision is to ensure that investments in connectivity allow us to seamlessly connect our borders and neighbouring countries, so Nigeria can truly remain the heart of connectivity in Africa,” he added.
Also speaking at the forum, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Barr. Rimini Makama, stressed the need for faster and more affordable broadband deployment across the country.
“Deployment must be faster, cheaper and more efficient if we are to reach communities where commercial returns are very thin,” Makama said.
He added that the commission is deepening its support for infrastructure sharing and open access models to reduce duplication, cut costs and ensure wider network expansion across both urban and rural areas.
In his keynote address, the National Commissioner and Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, emphasised that a secure digital economy cannot exist without strong data protection.
Represented by the Head of Research and Development at NDPC, Dr. Tolu Pius-Fadipe, Olatunji said telecom networks now form the backbone of commerce, finance, education, mobility, identity management and national development.
“As we deepen digitalisation, security, resilience and consumer trust must guide every decision we make,” he stated.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, ATCON President, Tony Emoekpere, commended the Federal Government’s renewed focus on expanding broadband infrastructure, noting that access to reliable internet services remains central to national development.
He also highlighted the growing concentration in the telecom sector, revealing that fewer than five operators now control over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s subscriber market.
“While the success of large operators is commendable, smaller operators are under pressure, mid-tier players struggle with access to capital, and consumers face affordability challenges,” Emoekpere said.
He called for a more collaborative approach to competition, pricing and sustainability in order to build a telecom ecosystem that is competitive, innovative, fair, affordable and resilient.
