NITDA Trains 2.77m Nigerians in Digital Skills, Targets 50m by 2027

"The unveiling of the dashboard represented a significant step towards improving coordination among organisations implementing digital literacy programmes, identifying underserved communities and ensuring that investments in digital skills delivered measurable results." Inuwa

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has recorded 2.77 million digital literacy training achievements across Nigeria in the last three years, representing 5.54 per cent of the Federal Government’s target of equipping 50 million Nigerians with digital skills by 2027.

The figure was disclosed at the 2026 National Digital Literacy Workshop in Abuja, where NITDA unveiled the National Digital Literacy Dashboard to track training interventions, coordinate stakeholders and monitor progress towards the country’s digital literacy targets.

The dashboard shows that 2,769,512 training achievements have been recorded by 252 organisations operating across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all 774 local government areas.

The initiative is being driven by NITDA under its Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programme, which seeks to expand access to digital skills through partnerships with government institutions, technology companies, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the workshop, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, said Nigeria’s greatest resource was its human capital, stressing that deliberate investment in digital capabilities was essential to improving productivity, creating economic opportunities and accelerating national development.

He described digital literacy as a fundamental requirement in a rapidly evolving technological environment, where artificial intelligence and other digital innovations are reshaping how people learn, work, communicate, trade and access public services.

“Our ambition is not to turn every Nigerian into an IT professional. Our ambition is to make every Nigerian digitally capable,” Inuwa said.

He explained that the objective was to equip citizens with the skills to use digital tools to improve their existing occupations and livelihoods rather than necessarily become technology professionals.

According to him, traders could use digital platforms to manage business records and receive electronic payments, farmers could access weather forecasts and market information, teachers could improve classroom learning, while public servants could deploy technology to deliver more efficient services.

The dashboard's demographic data show that young people below the age of 35 account for 2,092,697 of the reported training achievements, while informal-sector workers constitute 1,609,183.

Female participation stands at 32.9 per cent, while 65,767 beneficiaries were recorded from rural communities and 17,156 persons with disabilities.

The figures, however, highlight the need to deepen inclusion and expand access to digital skills among women, rural residents and persons with disabilities to ensure that no segment of the population is left behind.

An analysis of participating organisations shows that companies constitute the largest category of contributors, with 151 organisations representing 59.9 per cent of the 252 reporting entities.

Government institutions account for 43 organisations, while non-governmental organisations account for 34. Cooperatives, community organisations and other entities make up the remaining participants.

Among the leading contributors, Cisco recorded 1,073,604 training achievements, followed by NITDA with 960,424 and Meta Platforms Inc. with 333,816.

Other contributors include Imo Digital City Limited, the Sokoto State Ministry of Innovation and Digital Economy, the Bureau for ICT and Digital Economy, state technology agencies in Jigawa, Kaduna and Zamfara, as well as the Centre for Information Technology and Development.

Inuwa said the unveiling of the dashboard represented a significant step towards improving coordination among organisations implementing digital literacy programmes, identifying underserved communities and ensuring that investments in digital skills delivered measurable results.

He noted that the absence of a coordinated reporting mechanism had sometimes resulted in multiple organisations implementing similar interventions in the same communities while other areas remained underserved.

“At NITDA, we see our role as an ecosystem orchestrator,” he said, adding that the agency's responsibility went beyond implementing its own programmes to establishing standards, partnerships and coordination mechanisms that would enable stakeholders to maximise their collective impact.

The director-general, however, cautioned against interpreting the reported training achievements as the number of unique Nigerians who had attained a defined level of digital proficiency.

He explained that the figures reflected recorded training achievements and must be complemented by credible assessments of the competencies participants had acquired, how they applied their skills and the benefits generated in their lives and communities.

According to him, the agency intends to measure success beyond attendance figures by determining whether beneficiaries can communicate more effectively, protect themselves against online fraud, access information confidently and improve their businesses, jobs and livelihoods.

The National Digital Literacy Framework, established in 2023, provides the foundation for the programme, outlining six core competence areas: device and software operations; information and data literacy; communication and collaboration; digital content creation; digital safety; and problem-solving.

NITDA subsequently launched the DL4ALL programme in 2024 to translate the framework into practical interventions across formal education, workforce development and the informal sector.

Its partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also facilitated the deployment of Digital Literacy Champions to markets and communities, with programme reports indicating that the informal-sector initiative has recorded more than 20,000 trainers and over 803,000 trainees.

The National Digital Literacy Framework targets 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030, aligning with the Federal Government's broader ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Participants at the workshop called on state governments, technology companies, educational institutions, development partners and civil society organisations to register their interventions and submit credible data to the dashboard.

They stressed that achieving the national targets would require sustained collaboration among public and private-sector stakeholders, alongside effective monitoring and evaluation of training programmes.

The dashboard is expected to provide a central platform for tracking digital literacy interventions, identifying gaps in coverage and strengthening accountability among participating organisations.

Ultimately, the initiative seeks to make digital literacy accessible to all Nigerians, enabling citizens to improve their productivity, access economic opportunities and participate more effectively in the country's digital economy.