In line with President Bola Tinubu’s priority of economic reform through inclusive growth, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has made a passionate call for increased inclusion of persons with special needs across all of the agency’s policies and programmes.
Speaking during a strategic meeting with the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA)—a disability advocacy group led by Grace Jerry—at NITDA’s headquarters, Inuwa stressed the need to be deliberate in designing inclusive technology initiatives. He acknowledged that Nigeria cannot truly achieve its 95% digital literacy target by 2030 if it overlooks the estimated 35 million citizens living with disabilities.
“We need to be intentional. There is no way we can reach 95% digital inclusion if 35 million Nigerians are excluded,” he said.
While NITDA has previously provided training programs for persons with disabilities, Inuwa pledged to extend these efforts nationwide and ensure inclusivity is built into all aspects of policy and implementation.
“We already have accessible facilities and inclusive hiring policies, but we must go beyond that. Our programmes must reflect inclusive design from inception,” he added.
The DG proposed formal representation of the disability community on ICT curriculum committees, policy design teams, and standards development bodies. He also suggested integrating disability-focused strategies into national programs such as NYSC tech training, women-in-tech cohorts, and digital innovation summits.
“This is about more than training. It’s about empowerment. How can we equip people to use technology to improve their livelihoods and participate meaningfully in the digital economy?”
Inuwa reiterated NITDA’s openness to strategic partnerships and invited more disability advocacy groups to help shape the agency’s tech policies to be truly inclusive.
“IT is a tool that everyone must be able to use. We must ensure it is accessible to all, regardless of physical ability,” he concluded.
On her part, Grace Jerry commended NITDA’s past efforts but highlighted the urgent need for better inclusion, particularly of women with disabilities in Northern Nigeria, who often face multiple layers of marginalisation.
“Digital skills are now fundamental for employment. Without specific, inclusive frameworks, millions of Nigerians with special needs will be sidelined,” she warned.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to building a digitally inclusive Nigeria where no one is left behind.
