The federal government has expressed its commitment to supporting a robust and equitable digital infrastructure landscape across West Africa and emphasised the need for Africa to leverage the internet to strengthen our economies and achieve a digital future that is resilient, inclusive, and safe.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who stated this at the West Africa Internet Governance Forum 2025 on Friday in Abuja, observed that in an era where digital technologies are transforming every facet of life, resilience, inclusivity, and safety are no longer optional — they are essential.

Bosun observed that the government is deepening internet access through initiatives like the Broadband Infrastructure projects, championing Subsea Cable Resilience, promoting Data Protection and Privacy, and accelerating Digital Literacy across the country.

He highlighted the need to build robust infrastructure that reaches the underserved, promote digital literacy and digital rights at the individual level, create inclusive digital policies to secure cyberspace, and foster innovation that reflects African values and aspirations.

Bosun, who noted that the federal government is developing the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the Digital Public Infrastructure efforts, added that the government is working to democratise access to the internet, protect users’ rights, and enable innovation that uplifts our economies and empowers our people.

He said, “This year’s theme, ‘Building a Resilient, Inclusive, and Safe Digital Future for West Africa,’ calls on all of us to deepen our efforts in strengthening the foundations of our digital ecosystem. We also recognise that these goals cannot be achieved in isolation; they require collaboration between governments, civil society, the private sector, technical communities, academia, and, most importantly, the youth who are the largest drivers of our digital economies.”

The minister noted that Internet Governance has a crucial role to play in shaping the future and ensuring that technology remains a force for good, protecting rights, advancing development, and bridging divides.

He said, “Internet governance is more than a policy conversation. It is about shaping the values and architecture of our digital societies. It is about who gets to participate, whose voices are heard. We should ensure that our realities are also contributing in shaping the digital norms that are being set globally.”

Bosun said that the forum has, over the years, evolved into a critical regional platform that enables open dialogue, shared learning, and the shaping of strategies that will govern how the African region navigates the digital future.

In his remarks, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kachifu Inuwa, stated that any major advancement internationally in technology comes with some issues, especially around data, data security, data privacy, and cybersecurity, among others.

Inuwa observed that the forum provides an opportunity to discuss issues around Internet governance and move forward together as a region.

He said, “What we are trying to bring out here are issues relating to cybersecurity and issues relating to how to build our capacity in the area of developing the Internet and making sure that we here as a region are able to serve ourselves to the best of our own ability and even to serve the rest of the world when it comes to issues relating to the digital economy.”

Earlier, the Coordinator of the West Africa Internet Governance Forum, Mary Uduma, called for affordable, reasonable, and available Internet for all that is inclusive and safe.

She said, “Today, if you want to pay for any purchase you made within Africa, it might be difficult to use our credit card to pay, even if it’s a dollar credit card. That’s what we are talking about. We want our children to be safe online, we want people to be responsible, and we want people to use the Internet responsibly. That is the way we can develop a resilient future for the West Africa Internet Governance Forum.”