To achieve a digitally empowered nation and to make Nigeria an emerging digital economy, human capital must be built on because, digital economy is knowledge-based.
These were the words of the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) who also said Nigeria’s greatest resource is human capital, not just mineral resources.
“We have to empower our citizens with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the 21st century and to achieve that, we developed the National Digital Literacy Framework with an ambitious target of achieving 95% digital literacy”, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa said at the climax of a a two-day workshop on ‘Building Sustainable Partnerships and Pathways Towards Achieving 95% Digital Literacy Level by 2030’, on Wednesday in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
“The framework has six competency areas, from building our citizens’ digital fluency on device operation and software to equipping them with the skills they need to manage information and also to develop data literacy”, he stated.
Inuwa further disclosed collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Education in infusing digital literacy and skills into the formal education sector in the country.
“Last year, they worked with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Centre to develop a curriculum for primary and secondary schools.
“Then we’ve done a pilot program with Nasarawa State University because we want digital literacy and skills to be a general study in our tertiary institutions. Cisco helped us to develop the content, and today all Nasarawa State students take that content as a general study, and they earn a credit for their degree as well.
“Now, we are working with the NUC to make sure all universities in Nigeria do the same thing.
“We are targeting to train 15 million students because by the time we embed digital literacy and skills into our formal education, all schools, from kindergarten to tertiary institutions, will have it as a mandatory subject for all students.
“Based on the rough data we have, there are about 15 million students in formal education. So if you embed that, it means in the next three years you will train 15 million,” he said.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, lauded NITDA’s ambitious initiative and called for robust and sustainable partnerships across government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international development partners.
“In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, literacy is no longer defined solely by the ability to read and write. It includes the capacity to navigate, to divide weight, and to create information using a range of digital technologies, she pointed out.
“At such, the pursuit of digital literacy for all Nigerians is not only timely but also essential. The goal of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 is visionary. It reflects a bold commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and national development.
“And to attain this milestone, we must foster robust and sustainable partnerships across government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international development partners. As rightly mentioned by the DG NITDA, no single entity can drive this transformation alone. Our strength lies in collaboration”, the Minister enumerated.