The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving 95% digital literacy across the country by 2030, with an interim target of 70% by 2027.
This ambitious target, according to NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the administration’s emphasis on economic diversification, inclusive growth, and industrialisation through technology, innovation, and the creative economy.
Inuwa disclosed this during a high-level collaboration meeting with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Abuja, where he emphasised the centrality of human capital development in Nigeria’s transformation agenda.
He said,”We started this journey in 2023 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board and he made it clear that economic diversification and inclusivity are part of the administration’s agenda,” Inuwa stated.
“And the president outlined this in 8 priority areas to achieve the vision, with priority number 7 specifically focused on accelerating industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation.”
To drive this vision, Inuwa said NITDA is investing heavily in the digital empowerment of Nigerians through the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF)—a strategy rooted in global best practices but tailored to local realities.
The NITDA DG, explained that the framework focuses on six core digital competencies: device and software operations, information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, content creation, safety, and problem-solving.
According to him, the goal is to ensure accessibility across all literacy levels—basic, intermediate, and advanced—targeting everyone from primary school pupils to professionals.
While citing the absence of comprehensive national data, Inuwa said NITDA estimates that the country’s digital literacy rate has improved to 50%, up from 44% in 2021, based on World Bank’s Better Life Report extrapolations.
Highlighting current efforts, the NITDA boss revealed ongoing partnerships with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to infuse digital literacy into the national curriculum. He also disclosed collaborations with global platforms like Coursera to train teachers using AI-powered tools and scalable online resources.
He recalled that in late 2024, NITDA partnered with Nasarawa State University and CISCO to launch the Digital Learning for NSUK (DL4NSUK) initiative, aimed at strengthening digital capacity in higher institutions and boosting graduate employability.
However, Inuwa stressed the importance of collaboration, saying, “This is not a journey we can walk alone; we must bring everyone on board—education stakeholders, technology providers, state governments, and international partners.”
In her response, UBEC Executive Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Garba, confirmed that the Commission had officially received the draft digital literacy curriculum jointly developed by NITDA and NERDC, and has commenced internal reviews.
While describing the curriculum as “robust and forward-looking,” she acknowledged the need to simplify its content to suit early learners and teachers, citing key challenges such as curriculum overload, limited teacher capacity, and poor infrastructure.
“We’re committed to working with NITDA and NERDC to refine the curriculum, train teachers, and ensure effective delivery. Let us align the technical vision with grassroots realities to make a lasting impact,” she said.
Garba further pledged that UBEC, in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), would champion efforts to equip schools with computers and solar-powered facilities to ensure real, functional learning.
To formalise their joint commitment, both agencies agreed to set up an inter-agency committee tasked with developing strategic plans for the effective rollout of the digital literacy programme.
The initiative, they said, is expected to equip Nigerian youths with the critical digital skills needed to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
