Federal Government explores job creation partnership with Starlink in Nigeria

The Federal Government of Nigeria is exploring collaborative initiatives with Elon Musk’s internet company, Starlink, to generate employment opportunities in the country through local maintenance and production of hardware. Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, revealed this development on Sunday via his verified X handle.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of the International Telecommunication Union-World Radio Communication (ITU-WRC) Conference in Dubai. Dr. Tijani met with Ryan Goodnight, the Senior Director of Global Licensing and Activation at SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink.

The focal point of the discussion revolved around the potential for Starlink to establish programs certifying local installers and maintenance personnel in Nigeria. Additionally, there were talks about forming contracts with local hardware startups for the production of Starlink’s repeater boxes within the country.

Dr. Tijani shared insights from the meeting, stating, “Excellent conversation with Ryan Goodnight, Snr. Director, Global Licensing & Activation of @SpaceX on the sidelines of ITU-WRC 23, who shared that Nigeria is their biggest market in Africa.”

Acknowledging the growing demand for Starlink services in Nigeria, the minister highlighted the possibility of creating thousands of new jobs through initiatives such as a certified installer/maintenance program for Starlink. He also emphasized the potential collaboration with hardware startups to produce repeater boxes locally.

“We intend to encourage every tech company to invest and deepen our tech ecosystem,” Dr. Tijani added, underlining the government’s commitment to fostering partnerships that contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s technology sector.

It’s worth noting that Elon Musk announced the deployment of SpaceX in Nigeria in January of this year, marking a significant step in the country’s connectivity and technological landscape.