NITDA Sets Bold Target for 95% Digital Literacy by 2030 as UBEC Pledges Strong Support
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NITDA Sets Bold Target for 95% Digital Literacy by 2030 as UBEC Pledges Strong Support
By Gloria Sarauniya Usman
ABUJA, NIGERIA – July 2025
In a major step toward bridging Nigeria’s digital divide, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030, with an interim target of 70% by 2027.
The announcement was made by NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, during a high-level collaborative meeting hosted by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Abuja.
The initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly Priority 7, which emphasizes industrialisation, digitisation, innovation, and the creative economy as critical pathways to economic diversification and inclusive national growth.
“We began this journey in 2023, and digital inclusion has remained a top priority for the administration,” Inuwa stated. “To accelerate this goal, we’ve developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) to ensure every Nigerian—regardless of age, location, or economic background—has access to critical digital skills.”
The framework, built in line with international standards but tailored to Nigeria’s context, focuses on six core competency areas:
•Device and software operations
•Information and data literacy
•Communication and collaboration
•Content creation
•Safety
•Problem solving
It is structured to address varying levels of digital fluency—basic, intermediate, and advanced—to serve everyone from primary school pupils to working professionals.
Inuwa revealed that Nigeria’s digital literacy rate has increased from 44% in 2021 to an estimated 50% in 2025, based on data extrapolated from the World Bank’s Better Life Report. He noted that ongoing work with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has led to the development of a national digital literacy curriculum, which is now under review.
Highlighting the need for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, Inuwa said:
“We cannot achieve this alone. It requires the collaboration of education stakeholders, state governments, technology providers, and international development partners.”
He further disclosed NITDA’s partnerships with global platforms such as Coursera to train educators using AI-powered lesson generation tools, as well as its recent collaboration with Nasarawa State University and CISCO to launch the Digital Learning for NSUK (DL4NSUK) initiative, aimed at improving digital literacy in higher institutions.
Responding to Inuwa’s address, UBEC Executive Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Garba, welcomed the initiative and confirmed that the Commission had received the proposed curriculum. While acknowledging its forward-looking design, she highlighted the need to simplify it for younger learners and basic-level teachers.
“The curriculum is promising, but implementation must reflect classroom realities,” she noted. “We face challenges such as limited infrastructure, teacher capacity, and curriculum overload—but we are committed to working with NITDA and NERDC to adapt and deliver it effectively.”
Hajiya Aisha further pledged that UBEC, in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), will lead efforts to equip schools with computers and solar-powered infrastructure to enable real digital learning at the grassroots.
To ensure the effective implementation of the meeting’s resolutions, a joint inter-agency committee was established. The committee will develop actionable strategies to roll out the digital literacy framework nationwide and equip young Nigerians with the essential skills needed to thrive in the digital economy.
This collaborative milestone reinforces Nigeria’s resolve to position its citizens—especially youth—as digitally empowered contributors to an increasingly technology-driven global landscape.
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