The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for stronger, coordinated partnerships among industry leaders, academic institutions, and innovation ecosystem stakeholders to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap. Speaking at the MTN Breakfast Session during the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES32) in Abuja, NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa urged stakeholders to move away from fragmented initiatives and establish a unified national strategy. He warned that the persistent disconnect between academic output and market demands continues to undermine efforts to build a workforce capable of driving sustainable economic growth.
Emphasizing that human capital remains Nigeria’s greatest national resource, Inuwa clarified that NITDA’s digital literacy mandate is not about turning every citizen into an IT professional. Instead, the goal is to equip all Nigerians with practical digital competencies that boost everyday productivity and expand economic opportunities. To structure this vision, NITDA established the National Digital Literacy Framework, which aims to achieve 70 percent digital literacy by 2027—in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive—and 95 percent by 2030.
To meet these ambitious targets, NITDA introduced the Digital Literacy for All initiative, a multi-pronged strategy focused on embedding technology competencies directly into formal education systems. As part of this effort, NITDA collaborated with Nasarawa State University and Cisco to develop specialized learning content anchored on the framework’s six competency areas. Nasarawa State University has already integrated this digital literacy training into its compulsory general studies curriculum, while NITDA is actively updating the overall framework to include essential artificial intelligence literacy.
To drive accountability and streamline nationwide efforts, the agency launched the National Digital Literacy Dashboard, a centralized tracking platform designed to monitor interventions and eliminate duplicate initiatives. Inuwa revealed that 252 organizations have already reported their activities on the dashboard, documenting the successful training of approximately 2.77 million Nigerians across all 774 local government areas and 14,664 communities from 2023 to date.
Cisco emerged as the leading contributor to these national figures, having trained over 1.073 million individuals through its educational platforms. Inuwa commended these efforts and urged other organizations, including corporate social responsibility programs and private foundations, to actively log their initiatives on the dashboard to ensure underserved communities receive targeted support.
Beyond initial training, the NITDA boss stressed that true progress relies on translating acquired skills into measurable productivity and long-term national prosperity. He called on industry employers and educators to co-create training programs tailored directly to real-world skill demands, ensuring that trainees are equipped for immediate workforce integration rather than theoretical knowledge alone.
Inuwa concluded by reaffirming that a synchronized digital skills ecosystem—grounded in common standards, reliable data, and shared national goals—is crucial for Nigeria’s economic future. By combining regulatory foresight with strong cross-sector partnerships, NITDA aims to build a digitally empowered population capable of maximizing technology’s full potential for economic development.
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