Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, Bosun Tijani, has held talks with senior executives of MTN Group in Abuja as the government steps up efforts to develop what it describes as a “future-ready” telecommunications framework for the country.
The meeting focused on how connectivity, emerging technologies and long-term sustainability can be aligned to strengthen Nigeria’s ICT sector, amid growing pressure on operators and regulators to modernise infrastructure and policy for the next phase of digital growth.
At the centre of the discussions was the federal government’s insistence that market competition must remain protected. Tijani said that while the ministry was prepared to support major industry players, it would not allow the sector to tilt towards monopoly.
He argued that a diversified market, where several operators are able to thrive, was essential to sustaining innovation and ensuring fair pricing for Nigerian consumers.
Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in the talks, with the minister urging MTN to broaden its vision beyond conventional telephony and traditional telecom services.
Tijani, whose work in the AI space has recently received global recognition from Time magazine, challenged MTN to strengthen industry collaboration and help position Africa more prominently in global AI development, while also improving the depth of national conversations around emerging technologies.
MTN Group’s chief executive and president, Ralph Mupita, praised the minister’s technology agenda, describing Tijani as one of Africa’s leading champions of innovation. He said MTN was particularly interested in Nigeria’s National Large Language Model (LLM) project and was seeking closer partnership opportunities to integrate AI into the company’s service delivery.
Mupita acknowledged that AI was fast becoming the next frontier for global telecommunications, and signalled MTN’s willingness to play a stronger role in shaping Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to prioritise digital skills development, with both sides agreeing that building a future-ready telecom sector requires not only infrastructure such as cables and masts but also the human capacity to manage and expand it.
As MTN pursues its “Ambition 2030” strategy, the company pledged to deepen collaboration with the ministry to help develop a digital workforce capable of competing internationally.
