Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has withdrawn his candidacy for the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.
Tijani announced the decision in a LinkedIn post on Friday, September 11, saying he had reached the decision after careful consideration and would instead concentrate on major digital transformation projects in Nigeria.
His withdrawal brings an end to Nigeria’s bid for what would have been a historic breakthrough at the ITU.
Tijani had been nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2026 to contest for the position at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference scheduled to take place in Doha later in the year.
Had he won, Tijani would have become the first Nigerian elected to serve as one of the ITU’s elected officials in the organisation’s 160-year history.
Explaining his decision, the minister said the international position was attractive both personally and from the perspective of Nigeria’s global technology ambitions.
However, he concluded that his most consequential contribution at the moment would be to remain in Nigeria and focus on ongoing reforms within the communications and digital economy sector.
Among the initiatives he identified are Project BRIDGE, which is designed to support a planned 90,000-kilometre open-access fibre rollout across Nigeria, and the National Universal Connectivity Access Programme aimed at extending mobile coverage to underserved communities.
Tijani also pointed to work involving communications satellites, the development of a national alphanumeric postcode system and Nigeria Web Design Standards.
His decision therefore appears to reflect a strategic choice to prioritise domestic implementation over a potentially prestigious international position.
The minister has played an increasingly prominent role in Nigeria’s digital policy agenda since taking office.
His tenure has included efforts to expand broadband connectivity, promote digital skills, strengthen technology infrastructure and increase the use of digital systems across government and the wider economy.
He has also gained visibility within the ITU itself.
According to reports, Tijani was elected Vice Chair of the ITU Council for 2025, representing Nigeria’s first leadership role on the council in decades. He was also appointed to the Digital Innovation Board of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
His withdrawal therefore does not signal a retreat from international technology diplomacy but rather a decision to concentrate his attention on Nigeria’s domestic digital transformation programme.
For the Tinubu administration, the decision keeps the minister in charge of a portfolio central to its economic reform agenda.
Nigeria has increasingly identified digital infrastructure, broadband access, technology entrepreneurship and digital public services as key components of efforts to diversify the economy.
The minister’s decision also means that Nigeria will no longer contest the ITU Deputy Secretary-General position through his candidacy.
The election itself is expected to form part of the ITU’s major leadership processes at its upcoming plenipotentiary conference.
Tijani said his focus would remain on supporting the government’s digital economy agenda and ensuring that the programmes already underway deliver long-term value to Nigerians.
His withdrawal consequently shifts the emphasis from an international leadership ambition to the execution of a domestic technology agenda that could have significant implications for Nigeria’s connectivity and digital economy.