Dr Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has announced the government’s plans to establish the Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Program Hub (Nigeria Startup House) at a government-owned property in San Francisco,  United States of America (USA). 

Minister Tijani announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, where he confirmed the approval of the Federal Executive Council for the conversion of the property—which has been abandoned for about 30 years, according to a 2016 report from a San Francisco-based publication: SF Examiner. 

Dr Tijani underscored the strategic value of the location, pointing out that the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley jointly generate a GDP exceeding $929 billion and house over 200 of the world’s top revenue-generating companies.

He also emphasised that creating the startup hub in the United States is crucial for drawing investment to Nigeria, as it supports his Ministry’s goal of moulding Nigeria into a major force in the global tech industry.

He said, “As we work towards achieving key elements of our Trade and IEC Strategic Blueprint Pillars, the Nigerian Startup House will play a critical role in promoting Nigeria’s economic interest, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and improving the visibility and positioning of Nigeria’s Startup Ecosystem to attract funding and expertise from global markets and organisations represented in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

“The San Francisco Bay Area, and nearby Silicon Valley, is recognised globally as a major source of startup ecosystem funding, with a combined GDP value of just over $929 billion and is home to over 200 of the largest companies in the world by revenue. In addition, most of the $1.3 billion funding sourced by Nigerian technology startups in 2023 alone came from Venture Capital funds in the Bay Area.”

While the minister didn’t reveal the proposed launch date, he did say although the Federal Government will maintain ownership of the Startup House, it will be represented by his Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A syndicate of Nigeria’s tech companies, according to him, will manage and “provide non-public funding for the operations of the Startup House.”