Communication Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani has voiced concerns over poor funding hindering the ministry’s objectives. Tijani highlighted that the underfunding, which has led to reliance on external sources, is stifling growth and impeding the implementation of key projects. He called for better budget allocations to meet national goals.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, has raised concerns about the insufficient funding hampering his ministry’s ability to meet its objectives. During a budget defense session in Abuja, Tijani emphasized that the ministry’s reliance on external funding, including international travel and engagements, was a direct result of inadequate government allocations. He pointed out that less than half of the ₦2.9 billion capital budget had been released, leaving only ₦1.2 billion to work with.
The minister stressed that without proper funding, it would be impossible to achieve the government’s GDP growth targets for 2025-2027, which are closely tied to the potential of the ICT sector. Highlighting the connection between improved connectivity and economic growth, Tijani referenced a World Bank report showing that a 10% improvement in connectivity could boost Nigeria’s GDP by 2.5%.
Despite these challenges, Tijani remains committed to the ministry’s role in driving economic progress. He also discussed the government’s plans to invest ₦6 billion in expanding the country’s fiber optic infrastructure by 90,000 kilometers, which would significantly enhance Nigeria’s communications capacity. In response, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on ICT, Senator Shuaib Afolabi, called for better coordination of ICT projects across ministries to avoid inefficiencies and wasted resources.
In addition to funding woes, the minister attributed the recent 50% hike in telecommunications tariffs to global inflation and rising costs of operations in the sector.
