By Balarabe Oshiafi
In furtherance of its quest to actuate digital growth for all Nigerians, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Kashifu Inuwa has charged sub-national governments on strategic alliance with the federal government
He said this during a high-level visit to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja. emphasising that “digital transformation is a national vision that requires active participation from every corner of the country to succeed”.
“Our mandate isn’t just federal—it’s truly national, which means it must embrace state and local governments,” Inuwa asserted. To make this partnership real, he urged governments to “strengthen collaborations that embed our initiatives directly within state and local structures.” The DG then showcased Nigeria’s immense digital leap: when NITDA began, fewer than 500,000 Nigerians used computers and ICT contributed less than 0.5% to the GDP. Today, that progress is undeniable, with over 130 million internet users and ICT now contributing more than 17% to the GDP.
According to him, this transformation was driven by strategic partnerships among government institutions, private organisations, and international development partners.
Inuwa reiterated NITDA’s vision of creating “a digitally empowered nation that uses technology to drive national prosperity,” anchored on the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) built around eight key pillars.
He explained that the first pillar Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talent — remains a top priority. NITDA aims to achieve 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030, through initiatives such as the 3 million Tech Talent (3MTT) Programme and the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF).
Under the framework, the agency is working with the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to integrate digital skills training into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula nationwide.
Inuwa also announced ongoing collaborations with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train civil servants and corps members through the NYSC Digital Literacy Champions Initiative, which is expected to reach over 10 million Nigerians annually, particularly in the informal sector.
“No one succeeds in isolation. We must work as an ecosystem to create prosperity and inclusivity through technology,” Inuwa added.
He also invited state governments to actively participate in NITDA’s upcoming International Conference on Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) and Digital Nigeria Conference, designed to foster cross-state learning and collaboration in digital governance.
Inuwa concluded by reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to leveraging partnerships to integrate technology into governance and enhance public service delivery at all levels.
