The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has rolled out a capacity-building programme for civil servants as part of its push to achieve full digital literacy in Nigeria’s federal workforce by the end of 2025.
The event, which took place at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja, is a major milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to modernise the public sector in line with the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF).
Nigeria has already set ambitious national targets of 60 percent digital literacy by the end of 2025, 70 percent by 2027, and 95 percent by 2030. To meet these goals, NITDA launched the “Digital Literacy for All” initiative, which integrates digital skills into school curricula, trains the current workforce through a Cisco-powered free online programme, and extends digital knowledge to the informal sector in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
So far, over 300,000 Nigerians have benefitted from the initiative. Progress is tracked through a real-time monitoring dashboard, while weekly webinars and incentive-based learning are used to sustain engagement across different demographics.
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Civil Service to Move from 30% to 100% Literacy
Speaking during the launch, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, said the training is designed to raise digital literacy among federal workers from the current 30 percent to 100 percent within two years.
She explained that every civil servant is expected to complete the Cisco-backed online course within two months. A performance-tracking dashboard, she noted, has been designed to encourage competition and ensure accountability across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
On his part, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by Dr. Ahmad Tambuwal, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to advancing digital literacy through the NDLF, unveiled in July 2023.
He said the framework, which was adapted from the European Digital Competence Framework (DIGCOMP), had been modified to reflect Nigeria’s peculiar realities.
“One major distinction in Nigeria’s framework is the focus on smartphones rather than computers, because most Nigerians access the internet via mobile phones. Even in this room today, very few people have computers, but everybody has a smartphone,” he noted.
According to him, the initiative is not just about using modern tools but also about helping Nigerians adapt to emerging technologies while strengthening their cybersecurity awareness.
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During the technical session, 43 MDAs under the Office of the Head of the Civil Service each nominated two digital champions. These champions were trained on navigating the DISCO learning platform, accessing course content, and creating online classes for their staff. They were also granted administrative privileges to provide direct support, ensuring smooth rollout of the training across MDAs.
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