While high-level digital reforms often stall at the city gates, Nigeria’s NITDA is betting on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to take the digital revolution to the streets.
At a high-level engagement in Abuja yesterday, Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA director-general revealed the data behind the agency’s “Digital Literacy for All” (DL4ALL) offensive, which has already trained over 500,000 Nigerians in just one year.
To reward the “frontline” of this transition, NITDA presented ₦3.5 million and high-end laptops to eight “Digital Literacy Champions”, corps members who have distinguished themselves by training citizens in unconventional spaces like motor parks, markets, and religious hubs.
The ‘80-per-State’ Strategy
The core of the NITDA-NYSC partnership is a massive recruitment drive designed to create a “knowledge contagion” across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
- The Cohort: NITDA is training ~17,760 Corps Members annually (roughly 80 champions per state, per batch).
- The Mandate: Each champion is tasked with training at least two Nigerians per day, aiming for a minimum of 60 people monthly.
- The Reach: By moving beyond classrooms into older people hubs and “motor parks,” the program is targeting the informal sector, a segment often left behind by traditional tech hubs.
Data: The Digital Literacy Funnel (2025/2026)
The Federal Government’s roadmap is ambitious: 70% digital literacy by 2027, peaking at 95% by 2030. The NYSC partnership is the primary engine for the informal track of this goal.
| Metric | Current Status (Feb 2026) | 2027 Target |
| Total Trained (Informal Sector) | 500,000+ | 30 Million |
| Active ‘Champions’ (NYSC) | 17,760 per year | 50,000+ (Cumulative) |
| National Literacy Rate | ~55% | 70% |
| Primary Device Focus | Smartphones | Unified Digital Identity |
Skill-Up Incentives: Solving Graduate Unemployment
The partnership isn’t just a service to the community; it’s a career-launchpad for the graduates involved. Under the DL4ALL framework, champions gain:
- Professional Certification: Access to NITDA-Coursera and GetBundi platforms.
- Specialised Skills: Training in high-demand areas like Digital Marketing, Video Editing, and Graphics.
- Employability: The ₦3.5 million cash prizes and laptops are designed to provide “seed tools” for corps members to start digital agencies post-service.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about teaching people how to “browse.” The framework covers Data Literacy, Digital Content Creation, and Online Safety. For the Nigerian tech ecosystem, this creates a massive new pool of “digitally-ready” consumers for startups in fintech, e-commerce, and agritech.
“Improvement in digital literacy among corps members will significantly help to reduce unemployment and increase participation in the digital economy,” noted Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, NYSC Director-General.
