• Nigeria to build $10B tech hub in Katsina State

• Hub supports 3M tech talent plan, digital economy goals

• $500M World Bank loan backs broadband expansion nationwide

The Nigerian federal government plans to build a $10 billion tech innovation hub in Katsina State, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Minister Bosun Tijani said on Monday.

Tijani announced the project during a meeting with Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda.  According to local media, Katsina is one of ten states selected to host the new hubs, with construction expected to begin before the end of next year.

The minister also outlined other federal projects for the state, including plans to expand satellite internet in underserved areas and scale up the federal program to train three million young tech professionals nationwide. The Katsina hub will serve as a base of operations for these trained workers.

Governor Radda said the initiative complements the state’s own digital agenda, citing the adoption of a Right of Way policy, a State Digital Law, the creation of a Digital Economic Zone, and the establishment of an ICT directorate. He added that his administration plans to extend fiber connectivity to all Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The project aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation strategy, which places ICT at the heart of national development. The government aims to raise the ICT sector’s share of GDP to 22% by 2027.

To support this effort, the World Bank on September 30 approved $500 million in financing for Nigeria under the BRIDGE Project, a $1.6 billion initiative also backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

 The program seeks to narrow the broadband gap in underserved regions by deploying about 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic network. The infrastructure will be climate-resilient, renewable-powered, and built around seven national rings, 37 metropolitan loops, 77 regional networks, and multiple edge data centers.

Isaac K. Kassouwi