The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to deepen digital capacity across the public service as part of broader governance reforms.
Speaking at the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) training awards ceremony, Inuwa revealed that Nigeria is working toward achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030, with an interim benchmark of 70 percent by 2027. He explained that the target aligns with national development objectives aimed at building a modern, efficient and knowledge-driven economy.
According to him, the DL4ALL initiative was introduced to equip civil servants with foundational digital skills necessary for improved service delivery and administrative efficiency. The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Inuwa acknowledged that the rollout initially encountered hurdles, including limited access to official email accounts among participants. However, he noted that collaborative institutional efforts helped resolve the challenges and ensured smoother implementation.
Providing an update on participation levels, the NITDA boss disclosed that 54,377 civil servants have enrolled in the programme, representing nearly 79 percent engagement, while over 40 percent have successfully completed their courses. To drive completion rates and encourage practical use of acquired skills, incentives such as laptop presentations were introduced.
He emphasised that digital competence not only strengthens professional relevance within the civil service but also enhances national capacity development beyond government institutions. Inuwa commended the synergy between NITDA and the Head of Service’s office, describing the partnership as pivotal to sustaining Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Also addressing participants, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the awards ceremony as both a recognition platform for outstanding performers and a progress review mechanism toward building a digitally enabled public sector.
She stressed that digital skills are no longer optional but a strategic necessity for productivity and effective governance. According to her, the DL4ALL initiative guarantees inclusive access to digital training across ministries, departments and agencies.
Mrs. Walson-Jack further disclosed that government is working toward transitioning ministries and extra-ministerial departments to fully paperless operations by December 2025. She underscored the importance of continuous training to ensure civil servants remain responsive to evolving administrative and technological demands.
The Head of Service also announced the recognition of 35 officers for exceptional performance under the programme and urged wider participation across all cadres to further strengthen institutional capacity.
Both NITDA and the Office of the Head of Service reaffirmed their commitment to embedding digital literacy within ongoing public sector reforms, with NITDA pledging sustained efforts to promote digital inclusion, capacity development and Nigeria’s shift toward a knowledge-based economy.
