The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for more deliberate inclusion of persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s digital empowerment and literacy programmes, highlighting the need to target the over 35 million Nigerians living with special needs.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), a disability advocacy group, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, said the agency will redesign its programmes to ensure that no one is left behind in the country’s push toward 95% digital literacy by 2030.
“There is no way we can achieve 95 per cent digital inclusion if we exclude 35 million Nigerians,” Inuwa said.
He noted that while NITDA has previously conducted targeted training for persons with disabilities in select locations, the agency is now expanding these efforts nationwide.
“For us, it’s beyond just training. The real goal is empowerment, how we can train people to use IT to expand their businesses and improve their lives,” he added.
The NITDA boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with disability-focused organisations and invited them to collaborate in building a more inclusive digital economy.
In her remarks, IFA Executive Director, Grace Jerry, thanked NITDA for the engagement and emphasized the urgency of closing the digital gap for persons with disabilities.
“Digital literacy is fast becoming a foundational skill for employment, and without deliberate inclusion, millions will be left behind,” Jerry said.
She stressed that the government’s goal of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 will only be attainable if all demographic groups are represented, especially those most at risk of exclusion.
Naijaonpoint earlier reported that NITDA recently rolled out its flagship Digital Literacy for All Initiative (DL4ALL) across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.