Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has earned global recognition by making the 2025 TIME100 AI list alongside tech leaders like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg.
This is significant not just for him personally, but for Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
The TIME100 recognition focuses on Tijani’s leadership of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program, which aims to equip 3 million Nigerians with technical skills by 2027.
So far, nearly 300,000 Nigerians have been trained through a mix of online platforms and 220 in-person learning centers. Graduates are also supported in securing jobs, with partnerships including the United Nations-European Union and companies like Awarri providing internships and employment opportunities.
The 3MTT program
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program is a significant initiative under Tijani’s leadership as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, to position Nigeria as a global hub for digital skills.
In collaboration with partners like Microsoft Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, and Airtel Africa Foundation, the program has made substantial progress in equipping young Nigerians with the skills needed to thrive in high-demand digital careers, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data science, and software development.
The program’s impact is further amplified through strategic partnerships, such as the collaboration with the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to launch the 3MTT–DBN Annual Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
This initiative provides fellows and digital entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and funding needed to scale their innovations and build sustainable businesses.
- Tijani has also championed Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, developed with input from over 150 domestic experts, to foster responsible AI development in the country.
According to TIME, Bosun emphasizes that there’s an opportunity to strengthen the quality of AI by helping to digitize our own reality highlighting efforts to build datasets and infrastructure tailored to Nigerian contexts.
The Minister is also overseeing projects such as the installation of 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables, funded in collaboration with the World Bank and other development partners, to expand digital connectivity across the country.
What you should know
The Time’s list came as another international recognition for Tijani, who was recently elected as Vice Chair of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council for 2025, marking the country’s first leadership role in the Council in nearly 50 years.
Dr. Tijani’s election was confirmed following his endorsement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and comes at a critical moment for global digital policy as countries rally to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.
3mtt is a fraud, I don’t believe the director neither who is in charge