The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has unveiled the Federal Government’s intention to generate thousands of jobs through initiatives such as a certified installer/maintenance program for Starlink and collaboration with hardware startups to locally produce repeater boxes.
Dr. Tijani disclosed this during a meeting with SpaceX’s Senior Director of Global Licensing and Activation, Ryan Goodnight, at the International Telecommunication Union-World Radio-Communication Conference in Dubai.
The minister emphasized the potential for job creation and connectivity solutions for unserved and underserved Nigerians through Starlink.
In a tweet shared on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Tijani expressed his positive discussions with Goodnight, highlighting that Nigeria has become Starlink’s largest market in Africa.
He outlined the increasing demand for Starlink in Nigeria and the government’s interest in exploring avenues for job creation in the tech sector.
The tweet read, “Excellent conversation with Ryan Goodnight, Snr. Director, Global Licensing and Activation of @SpaceX on the sidelines of ITU-WRC 23, who shared that Nigeria is their biggest market in Africa.
As demand for @Starlink continues to grow in Nigeria, we spoke about the issue of connecting unserved and underserved Nigerians.
I also mentioned the possibility of creating thousands of new jobs in Nigeria through initiatives like a certified installer/maintenance program for Starlink and working with hardware startups to produce repeater boxes locally.
Our intention is to encourage every tech company to invest and deepen our tech ecosystem @elonmusk.”
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission indicates that Starlink, which officially launched in Nigeria in January 2023, boasts 6,756 wireless Internet subscribers.
Nigeria holds the distinction of being Starlink’s inaugural operational country in Africa and the 47th globally.
The Federal Government aims to leverage this partnership to boost employment opportunities and further develop the country’s technology ecosystem.
