Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA and Management Team, During Their Visit to Chris J Maiyaki, Executive Secretary of NUC, Abuja.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), partners with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to embed digital literacy as a general course in all Nigerian universities.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, CCIE, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the NUC headquarters in Abuja.
He said, the collaboration builds on the success of the Digital Literacy for All initiative (DL4ALL) implemented at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and marks a significant milestone in advancing digital skills and preparing Nigeria’s youth for the digital economy.
According to him, equipping students with essential digital skills through formal education is critical to achieving Nigeria’s digital economy goals. He explained that NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) has 8 pillars, with fostering digital literacy and cultivating talent as a priority.
Inuwa said: “We aim to achieve 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030. “Embedding digital skills as a general course in universities is a sustainable solution to achieve this target.”
The agency as well noted that leveraging the Nasarawa State University pilot, where digital literacy was introduced as a self learning, credit-earning course with support from Cisco, NITDA seeks to replicate the model nationwide.
Inuwa stated: “With NUC’s support, we can make digital literacy a standard requirement like English and Mathematics, empowering students to navigate and contribute to the digital economy effectively.”
Role of universities, he emphasised on achieving these goals, Inuwa said, “Universities are critical stakeholders, and research is the foundation of any robust economy, and we must collaborate to build a technology research ecosystem that addresses national challenges.”
Inuwa, stressed the importance of aligning education with industry demands, particular through The Nigerian Start-Up Act, a legal framework that will nurture entrepreneurial ecosystems. With NUC’s guidance, universities can tailor their programmes to equip students with high-demand skills, ensuring they graduate as job creators rather than job seekers.
Together, we can prepare our citizens for the future, bridge the digital divide, and position Nigeria as a global talent hub.” He restates, the significance of collaboration, according to him, “no one succeeds in isolation. This partnership with NUC is vital for achieving our vision.
During the DG’s remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris J. Maiyaki, commended the initiative and affirmed the commission’s commitment to driving digital transformation within Nigeria’s university system.
Digital literacy is one resource with profound impact; you can hardly function today without significant technological skills.”He states, the urgency of integrating digital literacy into the university curriculum, stating that, “the rapidity of change in the digital revolution makes a strong case for the Nigerian university system to be part and parcel of this transformation.
Maiyaki expressed optimism about the partnership and reaffirmed his commitment towards its full implementation, while acknowledging the challenges faced by Nigerian universities in terms of digital infrastructure.
Using digital platforms to enrich our research ecosystem and exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence are cross-cutting issues that can transform higher education,” He added, “We are very proud of this initiative. It presents huge potential for our university system to key into the rapidly expanding digital infrastructure and landscape.
