Tijani Withdraws from ITU Deputy Secretary-General Race

Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Bosun Tijani, has withdrawn from the race for Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Tijani announced his decision in a LinkedIn post on Friday, saying he had made it after “careful consideration.”

According to the ITU’s official records, President Bola Tinubu had nominated him for the position on May 5, 2026.

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Tijani would have contested the position at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Doha in November.

His withdrawal means Nigeria will no longer pursue what would have been a historic first for the country at the 160-year-old organisation.

Tijani said the position was attractive both personally and nationally but believed his greatest contribution currently lay in Nigeria’s digital transformation efforts.

“However, I believe the most consequential contribution I can make at this time is to remain focused on the critical work before us at home,” he said.

Tijani Withdraws From ITU Leadership Race (NewsCentral TV) — International Telecommunication Union (ITU) flag. Credit: Envato.

The minister highlighted several projects requiring his attention, including Project BRIDGE, a planned 90,000-kilometre open-access fibre network across Nigeria. He also cited the National Universal Connectivity Access Programme, which aims to expand mobile coverage in underserved communities through new telecommunications towers.

Other priorities include two new communications satellites, a national alphanumeric postcode system and the Nigeria Web Design Standards.

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Tinubu had described Tijani in his nomination letter to ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin as “a distinguished technology leader, policymaker, and global advocate for digital transformation.”

Tijani has held leadership positions at the ITU during his three years as minister. He was elected Vice Chair of the ITU Council for 2025, marking Nigeria’s first leadership role on the Council in nearly 50 years. He was also appointed to the Digital Innovation Board of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development in 2024.

Tijani said he would remain focused on supporting President Tinubu’s digital economy agenda and ensuring the country’s major technology programmes deliver lasting benefits.

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