FG to train over 90,000 civil servants on digital literacy

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has concluded plans to train over 90,000 civil servants across federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) on basic digital literacy skills by the end of the year.

As part of broader efforts to drive digital inclusion, NITDA is also partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital literacy into the national curriculum across all levels of education.

These initiatives are key components of the Federal Government’s strategic vision to achieve 70% digital literacy penetration by 2027 and 95% by 2030.

The Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this at the close of a Digital Literacy Stakeholders Workshop in Abuja themed “Building Sustainable Partnerships and Pathways Towards Achieving 95% Digital Literacy Level by 2030.”

The workshop was convened to foster partnerships, establish a unified framework for managing digital literacy data, and chart a clear roadmap to meet the government’s digital literacy targets.

Dr. Abdullahi highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including the planned digital training for civil servants and the integration of digital literacy into teacher training programs, as critical steps toward mass digital empowerment.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, emphasized that the training initiative is a joint effort with NITDA aimed at building a digitally inclined and highly productive public workforce.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, noted that in today’s rapidly evolving digital environment, literacy extends beyond reading and writing to include the ability to navigate, evaluate, and create information using digital tools. She confirmed that digital literacy has already been incorporated into teacher education.

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, raised concern over the gender digital divide, revealing that although Nigeria has over 140 million internet subscribers, fewer than 20% are women. She noted that over 60% of Nigerian women do not own a smartphone, and only 34% use mobile internet, underscoring the need for targeted digital inclusion initiatives for women.

A high point of the workshop was the inauguration of a National Digital Literacy Technical Committee by the Head of Service. The committee, comprising representatives from key stakeholder institutions, will coordinate the implementation of digital literacy initiatives nationwide.

Stakeholders also agreed to institutionalize the Digital Literacy Stakeholders Conference as an annual event to foster collaboration and drive the National Digital Literacy Framework forward.

Editing by Ngozi Otu