KEY POINTS

• Nigeria and Finland sign a MoU to enhance digitalisation, innovation, cybersecurity, and capacity-building, strengthening bilateral cooperation.
• Finland commits to supporting Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, while both countries aim to leverage technology for economic growth and improved public services.
• The agreement aligns with a €23 million EU-funded initiative to expand digital governance and develop 3 million technical talents across Nigeria.

Nigeria and Finland have formalised a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation in digitalisation and innovation.

The agreement was signed in Abuja by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, and Finland’s Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Jarno Syrjälä.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in areas including digital government, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, and capacity building.

Both countries aim to leverage digital transformation to drive economic growth, improve public service delivery, and promote inclusive innovation.

Minister Tijani described the MoU as a significant step in strengthening the digital partnership between Nigeria and Finland. He highlighted prior engagements in Helsinki that laid the groundwork for collaboration on digital infrastructure and capacity-building opportunities.

“We are confident that this partnership will unlock meaningful opportunities as a catalyst for sustainable growth and shared prosperity,” Tijani said.

Finland’s Support for Nigeria’s Digital Ecosystem

Jarno Syrjälä emphasised Finland’s commitment to helping Nigeria build a resilient and inclusive digital ecosystem. He said, “Digitalisation is at its best when it empowers people, strengthens trust, and creates new opportunities for innovation.”

The agreement reinforces Nigeria’s status as a key partner for Finland in Africa and provides a foundation for collaboration between governments, institutions, and the private sector.

The MoU complements Finland’s leadership of a €23 million Team Europe Initiative, funded by the European Union, to strengthen Nigeria’s digital public services and support the rollout of the 3 Million Technical Talent programme.

Implemented by Finland’s HAUS development agency in partnership with Estonia’s ESTDEV, the programme focuses on expanding secure, citizen-centred public services, enhancing digital governance, and building technical skills under the EU–Nigeria Digital Economy Package.