NITDA DG Advocates Digital Skills, Cross-Sector Collaboration for Inclusive Economic Growth
NITDA DG Advocates Digital Skills, Cross-Sector Collaboration for Inclusive Economic Growth
By Matthew Eloyi
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has called for stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia and innovation stakeholders to accelerate digital inclusion, bridge skills gaps and translate Nigeria’s digital transformation efforts into sustainable economic growth.
Inuwa made the call during two separate sessions at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32) in Abuja, highlighting the importance of digital literacy, human capital development and strategic partnerships in building an inclusive digital economy.
At a session titled “Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age,” organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the NITDA chief stressed that digital inclusion must go beyond providing internet connectivity and access to technological devices to equipping citizens with the skills and confidence to use technology productively.
He explained that the true measure of digital inclusion was the ability of Nigerians to use digital tools to improve their livelihoods, grow their businesses, enhance efficiency and participate competitively in the digital economy.
According to him, technology must be purposeful and capable of simplifying lives, improving productivity and unlocking economic opportunities for citizens across different sectors.
Inuwa also highlighted the gap between individual digital productivity and national prosperity, noting that individual achievements could only translate into broader economic gains when supported by an enabling environment that encourages innovation and allows successful initiatives to scale.
He called for sustained collaboration among government, the private sector and other stakeholders to strengthen partnerships, promote innovation and ensure that no Nigerian was left behind in the digital economy.
At a separate breakfast session organised by MTN Foundation Nigeria on the sidelines of the summit, Inuwa identified the tendency of institutions to work in isolation as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s digital transformation and economic development.
He said the disconnect between industry, academia and the innovation ecosystem often prevented educational institutions from producing graduates with the skills required by employers and the wider economy.
“Our big challenge is we work in isolation. The industry is not talking to the academia, and the academia is not talking to the innovation ecosystem. Everybody is trying to carve out his niche and work in isolation,” he said.
He maintained that Nigeria could not achieve its full economic potential without an integrated ecosystem in which educational institutions understood industry needs, businesses supported innovation and government provided the policies and partnerships required to drive progress.
Describing human capital as Nigeria’s greatest national resource, the NITDA director-general said the objective of digital literacy was not to turn every Nigerian into an IT professional, but to empower citizens with the digital capabilities needed to improve their work and productivity.
He disclosed that NITDA had developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), which targets 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, with an interim target of 70 per cent by 2027, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Inuwa acknowledged that achieving the targets would require collective action beyond NITDA, prompting the agency to introduce the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative to expand digital skills development through partnerships with educational institutions and other stakeholders.
He explained that one of the initiative’s approaches involved integrating digital literacy and skills into formal education.
Under this arrangement, NITDA worked with the Federal Ministry of Education to develop digital literacy curricula for primary and secondary schools, which have been approved. The agency is also collaborating with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to train teachers, with training already underway in schools.
Another component involves integrating digital literacy into higher education. Inuwa disclosed that NITDA had commenced a pilot programme with Nasarawa State University, where Cisco developed learning content based on the National Digital Literacy Framework.
He said the university had adopted digital literacy as a General Studies course, placing it alongside foundational subjects such as English and mathematics.
According to him, the framework covers six competency areas and three proficiency levels—basic, intermediate and advanced. NITDA is currently reviewing it to incorporate artificial intelligence literacy in response to the growing importance of AI across education, business and public administration.
Inuwa stressed that the country’s digital transformation agenda must combine access to technology with relevant skills, institutional cooperation and an enabling environment for innovation.
He said a digitally capable population, supported by strong partnerships among government, industry, academia and the innovation ecosystem, would be critical to improving productivity, expanding economic opportunities and translating Nigeria’s digital ambitions into inclusive national prosperity.
