Nigeria targets 95% digital literacy by 2030, says Federal Government

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving 95 percent digital literacy across Nigeria by the year 2030, with an interim target of 70 percent by 2027.

This initiative is part of the administration’s broader focus on reforming the economy for inclusive growth and driving national development through industrialisation, digitisation, creative industries, manufacturing, and innovation.

During a collaborative meeting hosted by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Inuwa emphasized that human capital development remains at the heart of the government’s national transformation agenda. He explained that the administration began this journey in 2023, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who identified economic diversification and inclusion as key priorities. Among the president’s eight outlined focus areas, one is specifically dedicated to accelerating industrialisation, digitisation, and innovation.

Inuwa noted that digital skills are crucial for advancing this agenda. To support this, NITDA is implementing the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), a strategic roadmap designed in line with global standards. The framework covers essential areas of digital competence and is structured to address all levels of proficiency—basic, intermediate, and advanced—ensuring that digital knowledge becomes accessible to every Nigerian, from school children to professionals.

According to Inuwa, even though comprehensive data remains limited, NITDA estimates that Nigeria’s digital literacy rate currently stands at 50 percent, a rise from 44 percent in 2021. This estimate is drawn from extrapolations based on the World Bank’s Better Life Report.

He further disclosed that NITDA has been collaborating with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to develop a digital literacy curriculum that can be integrated into the formal education system. Inuwa highlighted ongoing engagements with major stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), all aimed at embedding digital skills across all levels of learning.

To scale training efforts, Inuwa mentioned partnerships with global platforms like Coursera. These partnerships will help train teachers using artificial intelligence-powered tools for lesson generation and support the rollout of scalable online courses. He also recalled the 2024 launch of the Digital Learning for NSUK (DL4NSUK) program, a collaborative effort involving NITDA, Nasarawa State University, and CISCO. This initiative aims to improve digital proficiency among tertiary students and equip graduates with globally relevant tech skills.

Inuwa stressed that building a digitally literate society requires a unified effort. He called for collaboration among government bodies, educational institutions, technology providers, state governments, and international partners to ensure success.

Responding to Inuwa’s remarks, UBEC Executive Secretary Hajiya Aisha Garba confirmed that the Commission had received the proposed digital literacy curriculum and had begun its internal review.

While praising the curriculum for its comprehensiveness, she acknowledged the need to adapt it for younger learners and simplify it for classroom use.

She identified curriculum overload, insufficient teacher training, and limited infrastructure as key challenges to implementation.

Garba pledged that UBEC, in coordination with the State Universal Basic Education Boards