In 2006, a quiet revolution began in classrooms across Nigeria. Desktops flickered on in dusty schoolrooms, internet signals lit up corners of rural towns, and young students began their first journeys into the digital world, thanks to the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), a bold initiative by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Almost two decades later, that same programme has earned global acclaim.
On a crisp Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, the DAP was crowned a WSIS Prize 2025 winner in the prestigious Access to Information and Knowledge category (C3), standing tall among hundreds of entries submitted from around the world to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
The prize, awarded by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and WSIS, recognised DAP’s enduring impact, over 300 secondary schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have been equipped with ICT infrastructure, including computers and internet connectivity.
From Lagos to Lafia, students now explore the same online world as their peers in developed nations, unlocking knowledge that can shape careers, communities, and the future of the nation.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, stood before a global audience at the WSIS Prizes 2025 Ceremony, receiving the award not just for a programme, but for a vision made real.
“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts,” Dr. Maida said. “It is an encouragement to press forward. It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage.”
The DAP’s win was not Nigeria’s only moment in the spotlight. Four other Nigerian initiatives, Women Techsters, ADEPTI, Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative, and the Digital Learning Initiative, were honoured as WSIS Champion Projects in their respective categories, affirming Nigeria’s growing reputation as a leader in digital empowerment.
The WSIS Forum, an annual gathering convened by the United Nations, brings together global voices—governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector, to discuss how technology can drive sustainable development.
Its Action Lines are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the WSIS Prizes serve as a global showcase for how ICTs are changing lives and reshaping futures.
For Nigeria, the award is more than a trophy, it is a signal. A signal that the seeds planted in school classrooms years ago are bearing fruit, not only in exam scores and coding skills, but in global recognition and national pride.
And for the students typing their first lines of code, researching biology projects online, or simply discovering the world beyond their communities, the future looks just a little brighter.
