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Bosun Tijani: Meet Nigeria’s new Communications & Innovation Minister

Bosun Tijani

Bosun Tijani, a renowned entrepreneur, and innovator from Nigeria, is the co-founder and CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), a social innovation center in Nigeria. Tijani, 46, is originally from Agege, Lagos, where he spent his early years before relocating to Abeokuta, Ogun State, for his secondary education.

Tijani’s name was recently added to the ministerial nominees’ list presented by Femi Gbajabiamila, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in August 2023, as appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Bosun Tijani is happily married to Moji Tijani, and they are proud parents of three children. The family maintains residences in Lagos, Nigeria, and Leicester, United Kingdom.

In 1996, Tijani moved to Jos to pursue higher education at the University of Jos, initially studying Computer Science before transitioning to Economics, ultimately earning a Bachelor’s degree in 2002. Tijani furthered his education, acquiring a Master’s in Information Systems and Management from Warwick Business School, UK. He recently completed a Ph.D. in Innovation and Economic Development at the University of Leicester in March 2023.

Tijani is a distinguished fellow of the Centre on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. He is also an esteemed Desmond Tutu Fellow and a Presidential Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity member.

Beyond his work at CcHUB, Tijani is also the CEO and Founder of Truppr, a fitness brand. He is a Partner at Growth Capital, Nigeria’s premier social innovation fund targeting high-potential, early-stage businesses.

Tijani brings over 15 years of experience from various sectors, including roles at Pera Innovation Network (UK), Hewlett Packard (EMEA), and the International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 2012, the Tony Elumelu Foundation granted CcHUB a $100,000 investment to support the development of Bosun’s Hub.

Recently, an old tweet from Tijani criticizing the government resurfaced after his ministerial nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In a tweet from July 23, 2019, Tijani responded to a controversial comment by Tinubu regarding power politics, expressing his disagreement.

Social media users debated the old tweet, with one user, #Optimistic Ade, challenging Tijani’s stance and congratulating him on the apparent success of his investment in Tinubu’s digital economy policy.

During his ministerial screening in the Senate, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari of Oyo North Senatorial District questioned Tijani about another tweet from July 2019, in which he expressed frustration with the Nigerian passport and the country itself. Tijani clarified that he remains passionate about Nigeria and its development, explaining that the tweet responded to a frustrating experience with the Chinese Embassy.

As a testament to his dedication to the nation’s progress, Bosun Tijani has been appointed the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.