The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, emphasised the importance of human capital development for creating a digitally empowered Nigeria and advancing its digital economy.
Mr. Inuwa made this statement during the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop titled “Building Sustainable Partnerships and Pathways Towards Achieving 95% Digital Literacy Level by 2030.”
He remarked: “We realised that in order to achieve a digitally empowered nation and establish Nigeria as an emerging digital economy, we need to build our human capital. The digital economy is fundamentally knowledge-based, and it’s crucial to recognise that our greatest resource is not the minerals beneath us, but our people. To accomplish this, we must empower our citizens with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.”
He went on to explain the steps NITDA has taken to achieve the country’s ambitious goal: “To reach this target, we developed the National Digital Literacy Framework, with a clear aim of achieving 95% digital literacy. The framework includes six competency areas, focusing on everything from basic digital fluency and device operation to information management and data literacy.”
Inuwa also highlighted the agency’s efforts in collaborating with the Ministry of Education to integrate digital literacy into the formal education sector. He stated: “Last year, we worked with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Centre to develop a curriculum for primary and secondary schools. Additionally, we piloted a program with Nasarawa State University, aiming to make digital literacy and skills a general study in our tertiary institutions. With the help of Cisco, we developed the content, and now all Nasarawa State students take it as part of their curriculum, earning credits towards their degrees.”
He added: “We are now working with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to extend this initiative to all universities across Nigeria. Our goal is to train 15 million students. Once digital literacy becomes a mandatory subject across all educational levels, we’ll reach this target within the next three years.”
The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, praised NITDA’s ambitious initiative, emphasising the importance of sustainable partnerships across various sectors. She stated: “In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, literacy extends beyond reading and writing to include the ability to navigate, analyse, and create information using digital technologies. The goal of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 is not only timely but also essential. To achieve this, we need robust partnerships between government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international development partners. As the DG NITDA rightly pointed out, no single entity can drive this transformation alone. Our strength lies in collaboration.”
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Mrs. Didi Jack, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, highlighted the Civil Service’s commitment to digital literacy. She revealed the collaboration with NITDA to train the workforce and introduced Service-Wise GPT, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s use of AI for governance. This development sets a new standard for public service transformation in the country.
National Digital Literacy Technical Working Group
A key moment of the workshop was the inauguration of the National Digital Literacy Technical Working Group, tasked with overseeing the implementation of digital literacy initiatives across Nigeria.
The resolutions from the workshop included:
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Establishing a National Digital Literacy Technical Committee with representatives from various stakeholder institutions.
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Holding the “Digital Literacy Stakeholders Conference” as an annual event to foster continued collaboration.
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Supporting the implementation of the National Digital Literacy Framework.
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Sharing data and program results through NITDA’s coordinated platform.
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Developing scalable digital literacy programmes that are adaptable to Nigeria’s diverse realities.
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Continuously reviewing progress, addressing challenges, and refining strategies.
This workshop marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s quest to achieve widespread digital literacy by 2030, ensuring that citizens across the country are equipped to thrive in the digital age.
