EU Launches €820m Digital Expansion Drive, Inaugurates Innovation Hub in Kano

The European Union (EU), in partnership with BMZ Germany and the Kingdom of Denmark and implemented by GIZ Nigeria, has launched a €820 million digital expansion drive in Nigeria to strengthen ICT infrastructure, digital skills, and innovation across the country.

The programme reached Kano State this week, where stakeholders convened for the fifth Project Steering Committee meeting of the Digital Transformation Centre Nigeria and marked the launch of the Women Venture Studio Innovation Hub.

The initiative brought together representatives from government institutions, academia, and the innovation ecosystem to review progress, align priorities, and chart the way forward for nationwide digital transformation.

Since its inception, the Digital Transformation Centre has trained over 5,300 Nigerians, including 2,060 women and 795 persons with disabilities, supported 40 startups and MSMEs, and implemented policies in four states to reduce digital gender gaps.

The meeting also focused on future objectives, including expanding ICT and green skills programmes, scaling mentorship and job market integration, and supporting startups through digital vouchers.

“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 of Nigeria,” said Inga Stefanowicz, EU Head of Section for Green and Digital Economy.

“It has been three years of project implementation. This was the first step. There is still progress ahead. By 2025, a further 45 million euros will support ICT training under the 3MTT initiative, expand nationwide fibre connectivity and advance digital public infrastructure,” she added.

Representing the Director-General of NITDA, Acting Director of Digital Literacy and Capacity Building, Dr. Ahmed Yusuf Tambuwal, said the meeting was strategic, ensuring inclusion for women and persons with disabilities while laying the groundwork for the next phase of the EU digital expansion programme.