At the BusinessDay CEO Forum in Lagos, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized digital literacy as critical to Nigeria's digital economy.
Delivering a presentation titled "Nigeria's Journey to a Digital Economy", Abdullahi asserted that no meaningful digital economy can thrive without widespread digital literacy.
He highlighted the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative—an ambitious program targeting 70% digital literacy by 2027 across all demographics and sectors in Nigeria.
The initiative seeks to bridge digital divides through mobile campaigns, community training hubs, and online platforms, reaching schools, workplaces, markets, and underserved communities.
> "Digital literacy is the foundation of our digital economy… It empowers people to unlock opportunities for entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic participation," Abdullahi said.
He traced Nigeria's digital transformation since 2001, when NITDA was founded and national IT policy was introduced. From fewer than 500,000 computer users and under 0.5% ICT contribution to GDP, Nigeria now boasts over 130 million internet users and an ICT sector contributing more than 17% to GDP.
According to Abdullahi, a digitally literate population is key to national prosperity, and DL4ALL is central to creating a resilient, tech-driven future for Nigeria.
