In alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, geared towards accelerating diversification through industrialisation and digitisation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has vigorously restated its dedication to collaborating with relevant development partners. The aim is to achieve an ambitious 95 per cent digital literacy coverage in Nigeria by the end of 2030.
The director-general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi shared this commitment during productive discussions with e-health Africa, a prominent development partner, in their recent visit to the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi emphasised the imperative need for collaborative efforts in implementing digital initiatives that could significantly impact the lives of Nigerians. He underscored that out of the nine strategic plans unveiled by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA is actively spearheading the implementation of seven through its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2024-2027.
“The seventy per cent national digital literacy coverage by 2027 would be a litmus test for the ambitious 95 per cent digital literacy coverage by 2030,” Abdullahi remarked.
He outlined the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan as the foundation for building a resilient tech ecosystem that would strengthen the nation’s pursuit of sustainable economic development. NITDA is actively collaborating with development partners such as GIZ, the UK government, and the Federal Ministry of Education to revise the curriculum for learning digital skills, a crucial step towards facilitating Nigeria’s digital transformation.
In response to the evolving policy landscape, Abdullahi stressed the importance of focusing on skills in demand to build a viable tech ecosystem. This strategic approach aims to address Nigeria’s digital illiteracy issues and promote digital innovations for a robust and sustainable economy.
Highlighting the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s strategic blueprint, Abdullahi stated that NITDA is tasked with the implementation of various programmes, including AI, blockchain, IoT, the Nigerian Start-up Act, Data Strategy and the Digital Economy Bill.
Seeking collaboration with the visiting organisation, Abdullahi expressed the imperative need to implement these programs for the overall betterment of the country. He also acknowledged the under-utilisation of NITDA’s digital literacy centers and pledged further investment in research and capacity building, fostering collaborations with academia, startups and non-governmental organisations.
Abdullahi disclosed NITDA’s collaboration with the ministry to implement the 3 Million Tech Talents (3MTT) initiative, addressing the IT gap through interventions like learning centres. Simultaneously, the agency is actively working to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity and digital trust.
To overcome fears associated with IT and digital services, Abdullahi outlined internal reforms, ensuring a psychologically safe environment, organisational excellence, cultural reorientation, automation of government processes, and changing citizens’ mindset for swift adoption of digital innovations.
Earlier, the visiting team from e-health Africa led by Abdulhamid Yahaya, conveyed their visit as a formal introduction of their activities and engagements across the country. This aligns with NITDA’s mandate as the nation’s apex IT regulator. They expressed eagerness for robust collaboration in the implementation of the National e-health policy within their digital empire, assuring NITDA of their readiness and commitment to realising the aspirations of the entire Nigerian citizenry.
