By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West

In a continuous effort to bridge the digital divide and empower Nigerians with essential digital skills, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the GIZ/DTC, held a Stakeholder Awareness on the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) in Lagos, south west, Nigeria.

The Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi , in his opening remarks, emphasised the critical role of digital literacy skills in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. He highlighted the NDLF as a comprehensive roadmap developed by NITDA, in collaboration with key stakeholders to equip Nigerians with the necessary digital skills to thrive in the digital age.

Mallam Abdullahi, who was represented by Dr. FalilatJimoh, of the Digital Inclusion Unit of the  Agency’s South West Zonal Office (SWZO), asserted that the collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Education were underscored, focusing on integrating the framework’s provisions into the national school curriculum. “This initiative aims to equip students from a young age with foundational digital skills essential for future success,” he noted.

Furthermore, Abdullahi mentioned that NITDA’s partnership with GIZ/DTC was fostered to establish robust standards for digital literacy content, ensuring high-quality and relevant learning materials aligned with the NDLF’s objectives.

He stressed that NITDA’s commitment to digital inclusion extended beyond formal education, with ongoing digital literacy programmes targeting women, artisans, and other underserved segments of the society.

He emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts, stating that the framework enabled the implementation of NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0, 2024–2027 pillars, “Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talents”.

“The SRAP 2.0 is a living document that is being redrafted to align with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy policy document “Accelerating Our Collective Responsibility”, which has Five strategic pillars namely, Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital, and Trade.

According to the NITDA boss, these programmes aim to empower individuals to participate meaningfully in the digital economy and access online opportunities. “This resonates with the Knowledge pillar of the Ministry tailored to accelerate the collective responsibilities of all stakeholders towards achieving inclusivity in all its dimensions which supports the Renewed Hope Agenda that is focused on propelling the Nigerian economy and enhancing the welfare of its citizens”, he said.

Hence, he stated that the workshop goal was to create widespread awareness about the NDLF through interactive sessions and discussions, providing stakeholders with a deeper understanding of its components, target audiences, and potential impact on bridging the digital divide among Nigerians.

Additionally, the NITDA Director-General emphasized the importance of collective action in the successful implementation of the NDLF, expressing gratitude for the collaboration with partners and the participation of stakeholders. He affirmed that the significance of tailoring the framework to the specific needs of Nigeria’s diverse population was to achieve maximum effectiveness.

In conclusion, Abdullahi expressed confidence that the NDLF, coupled with collaborative efforts, would play a pivotal role in empowering Nigerians with the digital skills necessary to actively participate in the digital economy, and access online information and opportunities while contributing to a more inclusive and prosperous society. He then urged participants to continue collaborations to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s digital future.

Earlier, the Commission Manager GIZ/DTC Nigeria Dr. Thuweba Diwani, in her opening remarks, delivered by the Technical Advisor, GIZ/DTC Nigeria, Olusegun Alimi, anticipated that the awareness session would be an avenue to dialogue and come up with a “Participatory Policy Implementation Framework (PPIF)” he added, “for policies to be sustainable they need to be owned by the people”.

The Digital Transformation Centre Nigeria (DTC Nigeria) is a project funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft FuerInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ). It focuses on digitalization, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Nigeria, aiming to enhance the country’s digital innovation ecosystem and boost its capacity for adopting digital innovations for economic and societal growth.

Other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the dialogue were, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC),Lagos Public Private Partnership (PPP), Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), also, the private sectors represented were MTN Foundation, CISCO, Tech4Dev, Faith Foundation among others.

The moderator, an ecosystem industry enthusiast Tayo Olosunde, affirmed that the stakeholders’ sessions had also been held in Kano and Abuja.