Alausa Commends NITDA, Cisco for Driving Digital Education in Nigeria
By Matthew Eloyi
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has commended the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco for their contributions to digital education and teacher training, describing technology as central to transforming Nigeria’s education system.
Alausa gave the commendation at the English West and Central Africa Instructor Safari Conference 2026, organised by Cisco in collaboration with NITDA in Abuja.
He praised both organisations for bringing together educators and institutions to strengthen digital skills development and prepare Nigerian youths for the demands of the digital economy.
The minister particularly acknowledged NITDA’s collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in training teachers and deploying hardware and software to support teaching and learning in basic and secondary schools.
“I thank NITDA for the work you’ve done with us, with UBEC, with our basic education, in which you help to train our teachers, and also deploying some of your hardware and software to support our education system at the basic level and our secondary schools as well. We really thank you for that,” he said.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government had updated the national education curriculum to introduce digital technology from the primary school level, as part of broader efforts to equip learners with practical skills for employment and productivity.
“What we’re doing now is just not teach to learn; it’s teach to work, and that’s why we’re transforming our education system. And we understand one thing: that technology is the bedrock of how we transform our education system,” the minister said.
He further disclosed that 369 Cisco academies were operating across Nigeria, supporting the education system and providing opportunities for digital skills development.
According to him, digital competence has become essential across virtually every sector, including agriculture, healthcare, finance, education and public administration, making it imperative for young Nigerians to acquire skills that enable them to participate productively in the digital economy.
The minister explained that technology was central to the six priority areas of the Federal Ministry of Education’s reform agenda, which include science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical sciences; technical and vocational education and training; reducing the number of out-of-school children; improving girl-child education; data and digitalisation; and quality assurance.
He said digital tools would help strengthen scientific learning, improve teaching, extend educational opportunities to underserved communities, support girls’ education and enhance planning and quality assurance across the sector.
Alausa also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership and sustained support for education and youth development, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda placed human capital development at the centre of the country’s national aspirations.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, reinforced the importance of digital skills by sharing his personal experience as a former Cisco Networking Academy student.
Inuwa, a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), recounted how skills acquired through the academy helped him transition from routine administrative duties during his National Youth Service Corps programme to website development and, subsequently, network engineering.
He said he enrolled at the Cisco Networking Academy in NIDA in 2007 to acquire the technical knowledge required for his work as a network engineer at Galaxy Backbone.
According to him, he progressed through the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) qualifications before attaining the CCIE certification.
The NITDA chief said the training provided him with more than technical knowledge, equipping him with complex problem-solving, root-cause analysis and network optimisation skills.
“I can tell you from personal experience, Cisco Learning can change the trajectory of persons’ life,” he said.
Also speaking, the General Manager of Cisco in Nigeria and Ghana, Abdelaziz Saidu, said sustainable education required resilient digital infrastructure and opportunities for students and educators to acquire lifelong, industry-relevant skills.
Saidu said Cisco was working with Nigerian ministries, polytechnics, international organisations and civil society groups to expand digital education and strengthen the impact of its Networking Academy programme across West Africa.
He identified digital transformation in schools, the digital divide between rural and urban communities, and the gap between academic curricula and industry requirements as major challenges facing education.
He stressed the need to expand access to secure connectivity, cloud platforms and hybrid learning while equipping learners with practical skills in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and software development.
Saidu said Cisco’s approach combined digital infrastructure development, broader access to technology and industry-standard training to prepare students for emerging opportunities in the global economy.