The European Union and its development partners have approved €45 million to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation, focusing on ICT training, nationwide fibre-optic expansion, and strengthening digital public infrastructure. The announcement was made during the fifth Project Steering Committee meeting of the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Nigeria and the inauguration of the Women Venture Studio Innovation Hub in Kano on 17 November 2025.
Inga Stefanowicz, EU Head of Section for Green and Digital Economy, said the investment is part of a wider €820 million EU digital cooperation package. “We do not want this Steering Committee to remain only in Abuja. That is why we have taken it across the country, from Lagos to Ibadan, and now Kano. It is important to recognise the digital transformation happening here in the North alongside progress in other regions,” she said.
Since its launch, the DTC has trained over 5,300 Nigerians, including more than 2,000 women and nearly 800 persons with disabilities, through digital skills programmes, startup support, and digital voucher pilots. Forty startups and MSMEs have benefited from innovation tools, while initiatives in four states are addressing the digital gender gap.
Dr. Ahmed Yusuf Tambuwal, Acting Director of Digital Literacy and Capacity Building at NITDA, described the funding as “strategic and solution-oriented,” adding, “We want a digital economy that works for everyone, especially women and persons with disabilities.”
Stakeholders plan to train an additional 5,800 young Nigerians and expand programmes in green and digital skills, mentorship, and ICT employability, reinforcing Nigeria’s drive toward an inclusive digital economy.