Oluremi Tinubu and Nigeria’s Technology Growth

As Nigeria looks to the future, one thing is clear. Technology is no longer a side issue in national development. It is key to education, economic empowerment, innovation and Nigeria’s competitiveness.

> Recently, I read a story on TechDigest about the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, launching a $10.4 million Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Abuja. I was impressed and excited about what this means for Nigeria’s tech sector. It stands out because, while everyone is focused on upcoming elections, the First Lady is actively involved in projects that boost technology, empower youth and support national growth.

> What makes this development even more exciting is that it is not a one-off project. It shows a serious commitment from the First Lady to digital inclusion, tech-driven empowerment and creating chances for Nigerians, especially women, girls and young people. Her regular participation in tech-related events with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) raises an important question: What does her growing interest mean for Nigeria’s digital future?

> For those who have been following her activities, the answer is becoming clearer.

> Through her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu has built a strong partnership with NITDA, opening doors for technology to reach communities that usually miss out.

> One of the remarkable parts of this partnership is the setting up of community Information and Communication Technology centres. These centres are not just buildings with computers. They represent a serious effort to bring digital chances closer to people who struggle to access them.

> The partnership started with the opening of a community ICT centre in Bauchi on 12 March 2024. Named after Zainab Bulkachuwa, the first female President of the Court of Appeal, this centre set the stage for future initiatives.

> This was followed by the Amina Ndalolo Community ICT Centre in Ilorin, Kwara State, in January 2025, along with a ₦50 million grant for women entrepreneurs. In April 2025, another centre opened in Ibadan, Oyo State, named after former Trade Minister Onikepo Akande.

> The partnership continued to grow, reaching Ihugh, Vandeikya, Benue State, by June, where the fourth community ICT centre was inaugurated and named after Mrs Lucy Zaiyol Aluor. The centre showed the commitment to making digital learning available outside major cities.

> Beyond these community-based centres, the plan includes a wider network of digital learning centres. On 23 October 2025, the First Lady launched ten of these centres online, covering Abia, Delta, Edo, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Yobe and Zamfara states. This spread shows that digital growth should not only happen in a few urban areas.

> The partnership has also reached higher education, focusing on preparing students for the demands of a digital economy. In collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), ICT Experience Centres are being set up across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with each centre costing around ₦1 billion.

> The centre at Ekiti State University, commissioned in May 2026, has artificial intelligence tools to support students. Similar centres have also been established at the University of Cross River State and Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State. Kwara State University, Malete, has also benefitted from this initiative.

> These centres are expected to help training in AI, cybersecurity, robotics, software development and other new technologies. In a country where many young people are looking for chances in the global digital economy, such investments could make a big difference.

> But building infrastructure is just one part of the story. The First Lady’s interest in technology also shows in her commitment to digital skills development. The Women ICT Training and Empowerment Programme, organized with NITDA, has expanded from an initial group of women in the Federal Capital Territory to beneficiaries across all 36 states and the FCT. By November 2025, more than 600 women had benefitted from the programme.

> Her partnership with Huawei has also helped women entrepreneurs through training in cloud computing, AI, 5G and digital transformation.

> These initiatives are especially important because access to technology alone does not ensure empowerment. People need the skills and confidence to use it effectively.

> This broader vision for tech-driven growth is also clear in her work in Jigawa State. Key projects included the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy, a tech and data-focused school championed by NITDA’s Director General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.

> The academy emphasizes the need to equip young people with digital skills for a data-driven economy. Also opened was the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic, a health facility built by FutureMap Foundation and eHealth Africa to tackle chronic kidney disease. Additionally, the First Lady announced a ₦100 million business recapitalisation grant for 2,000 women traders, with each receiving ₦50,000. All these initiatives show a development approach that links digital innovation with education, healthcare and economic empowerment.

> With this background, the new Renewed Hope Startup Hub in Wuye, Abuja, highlights these efforts. The $10.4 million project, funded by a grant from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims to provide hardware prototyping facilities, incubation, mentorship and international partnerships. NITDA is set to oversee the hub when it is completed.

> Although the project is still in its early stages, its potential is huge. It could offer a space where Nigerian innovators can turn ideas into reality, develop and test tech solutions.

> For NITDA, these partnerships offer a chance to turn its digital economy goals into real results. The agency’s job is more than making policies. It must ensure that tech infrastructure, digital skills and innovation opportunities reach those who need them most.

> In this way, the First Lady’s active role in these initiatives is more than just ceremonial. It shows the importance of technology as a tool for national growth and gives visibility to programs that might otherwise go unnoticed.

> It is no surprise that Kashifu often describes the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as a mother figure and advocate for women and youth empowerment. In a recent post, he said, “Mummy, you’re truly the mother of our nation,” while praising her tech-driven initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiative. He specifically highlighted her role in digital inclusion, saying her leadership is key in expanding chances for women and youth to engage in Nigeria’s digital economy, in line with the administration’s goals of economic growth and inclusion.

> Of course, the real measure of success will not be the number of centres opened or the amount of money invested. It will be about whether these facilities stay functional, whether beneficiaries gain useful skills, if young innovators create successful businesses and if women achieve greater economic independence.

> As Nigeria looks to the future, one thing is clear. Technology is no longer a side issue in national development. It is key to education, economic empowerment, innovation and Nigeria’s competitiveness.

> With the First Lady’s ongoing interest, backed by NITDA’s expertise, there is hope for what lies ahead.

> The foundation has been laid. The real work is in what Nigerians will create on it.