- Calls for expanded partnership | By: Francis Onyemachi
The CAL-MAJ Foundation has commended the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, for its ICT intervention in a rural community in Kogi State, describing the initiative as a life-changing investment in digital education while calling for an expanded partnership to strengthen digital skills.
Faith Ayegba, executive director of the Foundation, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja to appreciate the agency for nearly a decade of support and discuss opportunities for further collaboration.
In 2017, NITDA partnered with the CAL-MAJ Foundation to establish a Knowledge Access Centre at Asma’u Community Academy in Unyi-Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area, Kogi State.
The project provided computers and internet connectivity, giving students in the community access to digital resources without travelling to neighbouring states.
Ayegba said the Foundation has since supported more than 1,000 children with access to basic education. She cited the story of John Ojodale Joseph, a beneficiary who progressed from the community school to university, as evidence of the project’s long-term impact.
“The intervention was a game-changer and an equaliser for a community that still lacks basic amenities such as functional water systems,” Ayegba stated.
She appealed to NITDA to strengthen the partnership by introducing Train-the-Trainer programmes in advanced fields such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, replacing ageing equipment, and including the community in the agency’s broader digital economy initiatives.
Responding, Olawumi Olatunji, director of Digital Development Services at NITDA, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to expanding digital literacy through the National Digital Literacy Framework, which targets schools, farmers, and artisans across the country.
He said NITDA is open to discussions on the Train-the-Trainer programme and curriculum alignment but noted that funding remains a major challenge in maintaining internet connectivity across over 1,700 digital centres nationwide.
Olatunji also requested documented evidence of the project’s impact to guide future support and strengthen the case for continued collaboration.
The meeting stressed the importance of sustained public-private partnerships in bridging Nigeria’s digital divide and expanding access to technology and digital skills in underserved communities.
