NITDA Championing FG’s Digital Literacy To Boost National Growth, Development
By Stella Enenche, Abuja
Established in 2007 by an Act of the National Assembly, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has very wide mandate, among which, is the creation of a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria.
As part of measures to fulfill its mandate, NITDA has chosen digital literary as a veritable platform, targeting no fewer than eighty five (85) million young men and women for skill acquisition/empowerment.
To say the least, digital literacy brings contemporary societies to the global table, where technology has continued to be the driving force for development, as the race by nations to outwit one another intensifies on a rapid scale.
On hand to drive this dream is the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, who has left no one in doubt about the resolve of the agency to put Nigeria on the global map, as far as digital technology is concerned.
At different fora, the DG had echoed his agency’s commitment to meeting the targets set by President Bola Tinubu, which is to explore the vibrancy that the youth population offers, to reduce unemployment, while creating wealth in the process.
The NITDA’s boss said recently that: “To achieve Mr President mandate we seek partnership and collaboration with major stakeholders to ensure that university curricula are recalibrated to include digital literacy, digital innovation, development of soft skills, and entrepreneurship amongst others.
“We have concluded arrangements for 15 million Nigerian pupils and students to be trained in digital literacy and skills in our primary and secondary schools.
“This will undoubtedly allow young Nigerians to benefit from global job opportunities in the nearest future. It will also empower them and give them necessary exposure to improve their skills on digital platforms.
“Recently a pilot study was carried out at Nasarawa State University on how this can be implemented and included in the University curriculum. The Programme was being implemented by CISCO in collaboration with NITDA”.
Indeed, the importance of inter-agency collaboration has never been lost on Mallam Inuwa, as seen in the recent joint effort with the Federal ministry of education geared towards integrating digital literacy into the nation’s curriculum.
The partnership agreement was announced when the DG NITDA received the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, on a courtesy call in Abuja.
Among others, the collaboration between the ministry, and agency seeks to embed digital literacy across all levels of education in Nigeria, starting from the foundational stages in kindergarten through to secondary schools and tertiary institutions, in order to achieve short-term target of 70% and long-term target of 95% digital literacy by the year 2030.
Apart from underscoring the immediacy in promoting a digitally literate population, the agency’s boss highlighted the potential of digital skills to transform lives and economies.
His words: “The future is digital, and the world is evolving faster than ever. If we are to prepare our youth for tomorrow’s challenges, we must begin with today’s education.
“This collaboration with the Ministry of Education is a bold step toward ensuring that no Nigerian child is left behind in this journey toward global competitiveness and innovation”.
It is hoped that the involvement of key stakeholders like CISCO, NBTE, NUC, NTI, NMC, and UBEC will strengthen the initiative, more so that the combined expertise and resources expected therefrom will provide a robust framework for implementing the partnership’s goals.
