Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has emphasized the need for digital connectivity to translate into productivity and economic opportunities for Nigerians and businesses. She made this call at the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja, organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Swedfund, and Ookla. The minister highlighted that digital infrastructure is crucial for the investment climate, business competitiveness, and international trade.
Oduwole described digital infrastructure as a critical component of trade, stressing that the conversation must extend beyond telecommunications to infrastructure required to produce, connect, invest, and trade. She noted that fibre networks, data centres, cloud infrastructure, digital platforms, electronic payments, and secure data systems are now essential for the movement of goods, services, capital, and information. The minister cited examples of Nigerians already participating in international trade through digital means, such as software developers serving foreign clients and fashion entrepreneurs using digital marketplaces.
The minister pointed out that Africa's digital economy represents a significant investment opportunity, with mobile technologies and services contributing approximately $240 billion to the continent's economy and supporting around 13 million jobs in 2025. In Nigeria, telecommunications accounted for over 9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026. A World Bank and Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) study found that extreme poverty among Nigerian households declined by about 7% after two or more years of mobile broadband coverage.
The growing demand for digital services has accelerated investment in data centres, with Nigeria now having over 25 facilities operational or under construction. Global investment in data centres reached approximately $500 billion in 2024, driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and rising demand for digital services. However, Oduwole cautioned that infrastructure alone will not deliver economic benefits unless businesses can use connectivity to reach markets, make payments, comply with regulations, move data securely, and provide services across borders.
Oduwole linked the objective of translating connectivity into economic opportunity to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that Africa cannot achieve a truly integrated market if physical borders become easier to cross while digital borders remain fragmented. Nigeria has taken steps towards implementing the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, being designated a co-champion of the protocol in February 2025 and becoming its first state party to ratify it. The Federal Government has also mapped Nigerian digital service providers across 17 sectors to assess their capabilities and export potential.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria is among the first three pilot countries implementing the African Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) initiative, alongside Kenya and Morocco. The initiative aims to improve interoperability in digital identity, cross-border data exchange, and payment systems. Oduwole urged investors to consider Nigeria's potential as a platform for serving the wider African market, highlighting opportunities in data centres, cloud services, fibre, broadband infrastructure, digital platforms, fintech, and cybersecurity.
Oduwole called for greater policy predictability, regulatory coordination, and partnerships between government, the private sector, and development partners to support sustainable investment. The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, noted that Nigerians consumed approximately 1.66 million terabytes of data in July 2026, representing a 47% increase from the previous year. Maida urged participants to identify viable projects and confront obstacles limiting investment, emphasizing the need for sustained investment to expand networks and improve the experience of people already connected.
Key points
- Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has emphasized the need for digital connectivity to translate into productivity and economic opportunities for Nigerians and businesses.
- The African digital economy represents a significant investment opportunity, with mobile technologies and services contributing approximately $240 billion to the continent's economy and supporting around 13 million jobs in 2025.
- Nigeria has taken steps towards implementing the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, being designated a co-champion of the protocol in February 2025 and becoming its first state party to ratify it.
