Nigeria, Europe to launch €18m DPI platform

Nigeria and Team Europe have deepened their partnership on digital transformation with the unveiling of plans to roll out a €18 million Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) platform, beginning with the launch of a technical roundtable on the Nigeria Data Exchange Platform (NGDX).

The initiative, convened by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy with the support of the European Union and Team Europe partners from Estonia, Finland, Germany, and France, is being celebrated as a milestone in advancing secure, inclusive, and trusted digital systems for Nigeria’s citizens and businesses.

Facilitated by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, the Nigeria Data Exchange Conference brought together senior government officials, legislators, regulators, industry leaders, and international partners to deliberate on the vision, governance, and technical architecture of the NGDX. The platform is envisioned as the third foundational rail of Nigeria’s DPI, standing alongside the National Identity System and the National Payments Infrastructure.

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Speaking at the event, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, described the project as central to Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.

“Nigeria already has two of the three critical stacks required for a successful DPI, the National Identity rail and the Payments rail. The next frontier is a trusted Data Exchange that enables government and business to share and use data securely, while providing citizens with better services under a framework that guarantees privacy, security and accountability,” he said.

Dr. Tijani assured participants that the NGDX will fully comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which enshrines the right to privacy and establishes the National Data Protection Commission. He added that the Ministry remains committed to delivering a functional national data exchange by the end of 2025, aligning its implementation with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

From the international partner side, the European Union announced its financial commitment to Nigeria’s DPI.

In his opening remarks, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, disclosed that the EU has committed €18 million to support the rollout of the platform, describing Nigeria as a critical partner for digital cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy and International Digital Strategy.

“DPI is one priority area for cooperation of the EU Tech Business offer with a strong potential to drive growth and create secure, inclusive digital ecosystems,” De Luca said.

He further explained that DPI extends beyond technology, emphasising its potential to empower societies through secure digital identities, seamless payments, and trusted data governance frameworks.

“However, such frameworks require legal safeguards on data and privacy. DPI must respect inclusivity, equity, human-centricity, security, trust, and sustainability,” he stressed.

De Luca pointed to ongoing EU-backed projects that highlight the depth of cooperation, including BRIDGE, the rollout of 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across Nigeria, 3 MITT, a programme aimed at launching Nigerian youth into the ICT labour market, as well as continued support for the digital economy ecosystem and businesses.

“This event is also a first step towards a fully-fledged EU support to the roll-out of DPI in Nigeria, an €18 million project that has just been approved for funding,” he announced, while commending the collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

With the NGDX positioned as the next frontier of Nigeria’s digital journey, the Nigeria–Team Europe partnership is being cast as a decisive step toward creating a secure, inclusive, and trusted digital ecosystem that can anchor the country’s transformation in line with global best practices.