Patricks Oghuma, PhD.

I Am Impressed By Your Attire, All Africans Should Dress Like You-Professor Lumumba

Happy Easter!

May this season inspire confidence in the future and strengthen our collective pursuit of solutions that improve lives and advance society.

Following the launch of the National Digital Economy Research Clusters Initiative, we will be hosting a series of Virtual Open Days starting on Tuesday 7th April 2026, to guide eligible institutions through the application process, provide clarity on expectations, and support the development of strong research consortia. The National Digital Economy Research Clusters (b.link/EOI-NDULRC) is a ₦12 Billion initiative designed to place Nigerian universities at the centre of solving real challenges across connectivity, digital public infrastructure, skills, jobs, trust, and AI. If you are a Vice-Chancellor, Rector, or research leader, I encourage you to participate and be part of building the knowledge systems that will guide Nigeria’s digital future. Open Day Schedule: - Tuesday, 7th April 2026: 1pm - 2pm - Thursday, 9th April 2026: 9am - 10am - Friday - 10th April 2026; 5-6pm - Register here: b.link/NDERCOpenDay EoI Deadline: April 13, 2026

This Easter Sunday, I reflect on the message of hope, renewal, and sacrifice that inspires us to build a better future for all. As we continue our work to expand Nigeria’s digital economy, we remain guided by the belief that progress must be people-centred and impactful. Wishing everyone a peaceful and reflective time filled with purpose and optimism for the journey ahead. Happy Easter!

FG Deepens Nigeria–Israel Innovation Partnership, Aligns with Renewed Hope Agenda The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. @KingsleyUdehSAN , today received the Nigeria’s Ambassador to Isreal as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral collaboration in

PRESS RELEASE Minister Udeh Drives Landmark National Tech Park Initiative to Accelerate Nigeria’s $1 Trillion Economy The @NigeriaGov has intensified efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-driven economy as the @FmstNg moves to establish a world-class

Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire Move to Deepen STI Cooperation as Udeh Hosts Ivorian Envoy The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. @KingsleyUdehSAN today received the Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria, Ambassador Khalilou Traore, on a courtesy visit aimed

Engaging with members of the press yesterday on the National Digital Economy Research Clusters was an important opportunity to share how we are strengthening the foundation of Nigeria’s digital economy through research and evidence-based policymaking. As we expand infrastructure through Project BRIDGE, we must also ensure that our decisions are guided by local insights, rigorous research, and a clear understanding of our realities. The National Digital Economy Research Clusters initiative brings together our universities and research institutions to generate practical, policy-relevant solutions across key areas—from connectivity and digital public infrastructure to skills, jobs, trust, and emerging technologies—so that our digital transformation delivers real impact for all Nigerians. I was also pleased to be joined by some representatives of the academic community from within and outside Nigeria, whose presence underscored the central role of our universities in this national effort. I am particularly grateful to the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, CON, for his support and shared commitment to positioning our universities at the centre of national development. This collaboration reflects our belief that building a $1 trillion economy will require not just investment in infrastructure, but also sustained investment in knowledge, talent, and innovation. More details on the Expression of Interest can be found here - b.link/EOI-NDULRC #NigerianExcellence

Dear Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, Fmr Honourable Minister under GEJ, Fmr APC publicity secretary, Fmr PDP stalwart, Fmr State Commissioner, Fmr State Governor’s Aide. In politics since 2003 @BolajiADC There is a certain elegance to your message, sharp, emotional, deliberate. But there is also a certain amnesia to it, selective, strategic, convenient. Whilst it is unfortunate you chose the birthday of our President to highlight this amnesia, permit me, sir, to speak to it. Three things can be true at once: a nation can reinvent itself, a government can act, and a people can endure. You speak of hardship as though you discovered it. You speak of insecurity as though it began yesterday. You speak of governance as though you were never inside the room when decisions were made. You have not just criticised but you have made an attempt at reinventing history. Yes, Nigerians are hurting in some areas. Yes, fuel prices have risen, sharply, painfully, undeniably even though President Bola Tinubu has made cheaper alternatives availabke. But let us not pretend this storm began this morning. For years, we subsidised illusion, deferred reality, borrowed comfort, and let rent-seekers take hold of our Commonwealth. You know this more then many, sir. For years, Nigeria built a system where cheapness was artificial and sustainability was optional. Now the correction has come, and suddenly, those (including you and many members of your new-found contraption) who midwifed the distortion have become its loudest critics. The Tinubu-Shettima administration did not remove subsidy because it was easy. We removed it because it was necessary. Hard choices, real consequences, no pretence. Here is the antithesis you glide past so effortlessly. What feels like punishment today is what prevents collapse tomorrow. We endure to rebuild, not rebuild to endure On security, your words carry weight, but not balance. Nigeria did not become insecure in a single administration, nor will it be secured by a single speech. The threats we face are multi-layered including insurgency, ‘glocal’ terrorism, organised crime, cross border networks. Yet capacity of our systems have improved, security coordination has tightened, investments in intelligence and equipment have increased. Is it enough? No. Is it nothing? Also no. To describe a nation contending and fixing structural issues as a nation collapsing is not analysis, it is exaggeration. And exaggeration may win applause, but it does not build solutions. You invoke grief, and rightly so. Every life lost diminishes us. But grief must not become a tool for theatre. Because while you speak of failure, you carefully omit history, the years when these fires were lit, the years when you and those in power chose delay over decision. You were not a spectator then. You were an integral part of the system. On the economy, the strain was real. Prices were high but are coming back down. Pressures were visible yet we have mostly stabilised. But reforms are not judged in headlines, they are judged in trajectories. FX stability is improving. Revenues are strengthening. Investment signals are returning. You do not fix decades in months. You correct distortions and direction, then you build momentum as President Bola Tinubu is doing. We are not where we want to be. But we are no longer where we were. And then democracy and your quiet warning of a one party state. Yet here you are, criticising loudly, freely, publicly. A democracy that permits this level of dissent is not shrinking, it is alive. Imperfect, noisy, contested, but alive. This is the paradox your message cannot resolve. You criticise a system you once helped shape. You condemn outcomes without acknowledging inputs. You demand urgency now, but defended patience then. We shape our narratives, and then our narratives shape us. Nigeria is not perfect. Nigeria is not painless. Nigeria is not instant. But Nigeria is not what you are trying to sell either. 1/2 cont’d.

On this special occasion, I extend warm birthday wishes to His Excellency, President @officialABAT, GCFR. Your dedication to the unity, stability, and sustainable development of our nation remains a guiding force for us all. As we advance the mandate of building a thriving digital economy, we draw strength from your vision and steadfast resolve to create opportunities for every Nigerian. Wishing you continued strength, wisdom, and success in the service of our great nation.

Today my heart is filled with deep joy as we announce the Expression of Interest for the National Digital Economy Research Clusters— a ₦12 billion research funding scheme designed to place ideas, evidence, and research at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation. This programme is being funded under Project BRIDGE, our initiative to deploy 90,000km of fibre optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria to expand connectivity and enable a modern digital economy. As we deepen our digital infrastructure coverage , thoughtful evidence based approaches are required to be deployed in society to ensure everyone benefits from this significant investment. Too often, the ideas shaping digital policy come predominantly from markets and political cycles rather than from research, evidence, and long-term thinking. A quote that captures this sentiment comes to mind: “The state of a society is a reflection of the ideas that dominate it — when good ideas spread, nations prosper; when bad ideas prevail, nations decay.” Through this programme, Nigeria will establish six national research clusters across key pillars of the digital economy: • Connectivity, Access, and Meaningful Use • Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Government • Digital Skills, Education, and Human Capital • Digital Economy, Jobs, and Livelihoods • Trust, Safety, Consumer Protection, and Online Harms • Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies These research clusters will be led by up to 36 distinguished professors, from 36 Nigerian universities working with international academic partners. Across the clusters, over 200 researchers, including Postdoctoral Fellows and PhD candidates will generate rigorous, policy-relevant research to guide Nigeria’s digital economy for years to come. For me, the goal goes beyond research output. We are looking for better policies that lead to stronger institutions and a more prosperous society. Despite the scale of the other initiatives we are delivering at the Ministry, this is one of the most meaningful to me personally, because it plants seeds that will grow long after any one administration. If you are part of an academic or research institution committed to producing rigorous, policy-relevant research, you can review the Terms of Reference (TOR) in the EOI we are releasing today here - b.link/EOI-NDULRC and submit proposals to lead and participate in these national research clusters. Because nations that lead the future are not simply those that deploy infrastructure — they are the ones that cultivate ideas. In the coming week, we will host a press conference to further elaborate on this announcement. I encourage Vice-Chancellors of universities across Nigeria to look out for detailed information and engagement opportunities. #NigerianExcellence

Energy Commission of Nigeria Hosts PIDA Technologies' Presentation on GECO Energy Saving App* The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) today, March 23, 2026, hosted PIDA Technologies as they made presentations on the modalities of the GECO Energy Saving App.

I extend my warmest greetings to all Muslim faithful across Nigeria and beyond as we celebrate Eid-el-Fitr. May Allah accept our ibadah, forgive our shortcomings, and shower His infinite mercy upon our families, our nation, and the Ummah at large.

Eid Mubarak 🌙✨ May this blessed season bring peace, joy, and renewed hope to every home. We remain committed to connecting Nigerians and serving with purpose. Warm wishes from all of us at NIPOST. 🤍

enterprises, and job-creating opportunities. He noted that ECoN will mobilise stakeholders nationwide to identify bankable innovations and accelerate their transition from laboratories to the marketplace, stressing that the country must move beyond theoretical research to

research outputs into economic value. Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Philip Ndiomu Ebiogeh, described the initiative as a strategic intervention to convert Nigeria’s vast research and innovation outputs into market-ready products, scalable

FGInaugurates 17-Member Committee for Energise Commercialization Now Initiative The @NigeriaGov has inaugurated a 17-member Planning Committee to coordinate the National Flag-Off of the Energise Commercialization Now (ECoN) Initiative, a flagship programme aimed at transforming

At the Temporary State Visit Secretariat, London Hilton Park Lane, I had the privilege of engaging with leaders, progressives, and diaspora stakeholders during the ongoing UK State Visit. These conversations reinforced my confidence that Nigeria’s journey toward universal energy access remains firmly on course. Achieving universal energy access by 2030 will require strong, consistent leadership and continued policy focus, and I am confident that we can reach this milestone together. I call on all Nigerians to support this initiative alongside the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose leadership is crucial for advancing our energy agenda. #PBATInUK #EnergyCommissionNG __DAM

I had the privilege of accompanying the Hon. Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. @KingsleyUdehSAN, as part of Nigeria's delegation during President Bola Tinubu's GCFR State Visit to the United Kingdom. The visit provided valuable opportunities to engage with policymakers and global leaders, reinforcing the importance of strategic partnerships and knowledge exchange in advancing Nigeria's innovation and development agenda, and strengthening our commitment to delivering practical, impactful outcomes. #PBATInUK __DAM