ITU Backs Nigeria’s Push for Inclusive Digital Growth

ITU Backs Nigeria’s Push for Inclusive Digital Growth

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA February, 2026 - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, as the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, paid a courtesy visit to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja. The visit signalled deepening cooperation between the global ICT body and Nigeria’s lead digital development agency.

Dr Zavazava, who was accompanied by the ITU Regional Director for Africa, Dr Emmanuel Manasseh, was received on behalf of NITDA’s Director General by the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr Warowei Dimie, alongside other senior officials. Discussions focused on addressing digital development challenges in Nigeria and across Africa, with emphasis on inclusive growth, capacity building, and sustainable ICT deployment.

Speaking for NITDA, Dr Dimie underscored the agency’s resolve to strengthen collaboration with ITU, describing the organisation’s global experience as critical to adapting proven digital solutions to Nigeria’s local realities. He noted that digital skills development remains a top priority, as Nigeria targets 70 per cent national digital literacy by next year, supported by private-sector partnerships and the recently adopted National Digital Literacy Framework.

Persistent connectivity gaps in rural and underserved communities also featured prominently, with participants highlighting targeted interventions such as grassroots digital training programmes and the use of National Youth Service Corps members as digital literacy ambassadors. These measures, officials said, are essential to ensuring that digital inclusion reaches all segments of society.

In his remarks, Dr Zavazava outlined ITU-BDT’s mandate to bridge the digital divide through inclusive ICT development, stronger regulatory frameworks, and resilient digital infrastructure. He disclosed that Nigeria is among 11 sub-Saharan African countries benefiting from a €15 million ITU–European Commission project on broadband infrastructure mapping, while also participating in global cybersecurity exercises coordinated by ITU, reinforcing Nigeria’s role in the global digital ecosystem.