The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has recently convened the inaugural Digital Literacy Stakeholders Workshop under the theme, “Building Sustainable Partnerships and Pathways Towards Achieving 95% Digital Literacy Level by 2030.”
The two-day workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, private sector organisations, civil society groups, development partners, and academic institutions to forge a unified path toward digital inclusion for all Nigerians.
The workshop served as a strategic platform for national collaboration, with the primary goal of strengthening partnerships, aligning strategies, and establishing robust data systems to track digital literacy across the country.
It also sought to define a collective roadmap towards achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030, as envisioned in the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) launched in 2023.
Participants engaged in insightful discussions, focused on consolidating digital literacy efforts under the NDLF to avoid duplication and promote efficiency.
Other critical areas of dialogue included:
- The importance of stakeholder profiling to map ongoing efforts and foster strategic collaborations.
- The role of innovation and technology in extending digital literacy to rural and underserved communities.
- The urgent need for a unified data management system to track training outcomes and enhance policy decisions.
- A shared understanding that digital literacy must be mainstreamed into all facets of national life—education, business, governance, and community development.
The workshop concluded with several key resolutions and outcomes designed to drive progress in an inclusive and measurable manner:
- Enhanced Collaboration: All stakeholders committed to working more intentionally by pooling resources and aligning their initiatives for maximum impact.
- National Digital Literacy Data Framework: A centralised data system, to be hosted by NITDA, will be established to facilitate evidence-based planning and accountability.
- Stakeholder Categorisation: Participants were classified into three categories—Providers, Enablers, and Funders—to clarify roles and streamline engagement.
- Inclusive Focus: Programmes will prioritise women, youth, persons with disabilities, and remote communities to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind.
- Sustainability: Emphasis was placed on developing scalable and long-term interventions rather than isolated, short-term projects.
In moving forward, workshop participants agreed to:
- Establish a National Digital Literacy Technical Committee comprising representatives from all relevant sectors.
- Institutionalise the Digital Literacy Stakeholders Workshop as an annual event to sustain collaboration and review progress.
- Support and drive the full implementation of the National Digital Literacy Framework.
- Promote open data-sharing through a centralised NITDA platform to increase transparency and foster synergy.
- Design and deploy scalable digital literacy programmes tailored to Nigeria’s socio-cultural and economic realities.
- Convene regular follow-up sessions to track implementation, resolve challenges, and recalibrate strategies as necessary.
According to Mrs Hadiza Umar, director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA, the event underscored NITDA’s commitment to delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly as it relates to digital inclusion, economic empowerment, and national development.
The highlight of the event was the inauguration of a National Digital Literacy Working Group to provide technical oversight in the implementation of the digital literacy framework and workshop recommendation.
The committee would be chaired by David Daser, the President DBI and consist of members across the digital literacy ecosystem.
