The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is making significant strides towards achieving its goal of a 95 percent digitally literate population by 2030.
According to NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, the agency has successfully built the capacity of over 3 million Nigerians, equipping them with relevant digital literacy skills.
Speaking at the Council on Global Partner Summit held in Orlando, Florida, United States of America, Inuwa highlighted Nigeria’s growing digital economy and its vision of nurturing a digitally skilled workforce.
NITDA’s capacity-building programs, including Stem Bootcamp for Kids, digital skills training for students, public servants, journalists, Digital Marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Programming, and Digital Entrepreneurship, have empowered 3.3 million Nigerians.
Inuwa emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to providing massive digital literacy training for its youth, positioning the country as a global Information Technology hub capable of addressing the global digital skills shortage.
The agency aims to develop policies, regulations, and initiatives that deepen digital literacy and skills across the nation.
The NITDA DG advocated for the inclusion of Mobile Information Literacy in future versions of Certiport’s IC3 Global Digital Literacy Standard, catering to millions of Nigerian and African citizens who rely on their mobile phones for digital connectivity and participation in the economy.
The three-day event also featured the participation of six Nigerian students at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC), who were selected during the Nigerian National Championship organized by ReadManna Empowerment Initiative (REI).
Global experts, including corporate executives, government officials, academicians, and industry influencers, contributed to defining and positioning digital literacy standards and validated delivery systems.
Inuwa commended the Nigerian representatives at the championship for making the country proud and positioning it as a global leader in digital literacy and skills.
He lauded ReadManna Empowerment Initiative for promoting ICT education in Nigeria and encouraged other stakeholders to follow suit.
The founder of ReadManna, Edna Agusto, represented by Ms. Efeoma Olotu, reaffirmed that the MOSWC is open to all students aged between 13 and 22 years enrolled in academic institutions.
Interested academic institutions seeking to participate in future editions of MOSWC can contact ReadManna Empowerment Initiative.
Nigeria’s recently launched National Digital Literacy Framework was presented by the NITDA’s boss to global experts during the summit.
In turn, valuable insights on implementing digital literacy in other countries were shared, and offers of support to help Nigeria achieve its objective of 95% digital literacy by 2030 were extended.
