By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will leverage the Digital Bridge Institute’s (DBI) designation as an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) to accelerate digital literacy and expand digital inclusion across Nigeria.
According to an official statement signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Director of Public Affairs, NCC, the commission made this known when it received the Senior Digital Skills Officer of the ITU, Ms Robyn Fysh, during a courtesy visit to its headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was part of Fysh’s official engagement in Nigeria following DBI’s designation by the ITU as a Digital Transformation Centre, placing the institute among a global network of institutions advancing digital skills and transformation initiatives. DBI also serves as the ITU Digital Training Academy (DTA) in Nigeria.
Representing the NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, the Director of Research and Development, Engr Babagana Digima, received Fysh and the DBI delegation led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, David Daser.
Digima said the designation presented an opportunity to deepen collaboration among the NCC, DBI and ITU in expanding digital skills development and inclusion, particularly among underserved and vulnerable populations.
“DBI’s recognition as an ITU Digital Transformation Centre is a significant milestone for Nigeria’s digital skills ecosystem and an opportunity to expand access to digital literacy and capacity-building programmes across the country,” he said.
He added that the NCC considered digital literacy and capacity building critical to Nigeria’s digital economy aspirations, stressing that the commission would continue working with government agencies, state governments, development partners and other stakeholders to expand access to digital skills training.
Fysh commended the longstanding partnership between the NCC and ITU in advancing digital development and skills acquisition in Nigeria.
She said the engagement provided an opportunity for the three organisations to exchange ideas, strengthen collaboration and explore areas of mutual interest towards accelerating digital transformation and empowering citizens through digital skills and innovation.
Fysh disclosed that the ITU Digital Transformation Centres initiative, launched in partnership with Cisco in 2019, had reached more than 870,000 participants globally, with women accounting for more than half of the beneficiaries.
She said the programme was designed to equip people in underserved communities with practical digital skills to improve employability, entrepreneurship and participation in the digital economy.
Also speaking, DBI President David Daser expressed appreciation to the NCC for its support in enabling the institute to secure the ITU designation.
Daser said the achievement reflected the confidence of the ITU in DBI and the NCC’s commitment to digital capacity development in Nigeria.
He disclosed that DBI had become the first institution globally to simultaneously hold the status of an ITU Academy Training Centre (ATC) and an ITU Digital Transformation Centre.
Daser called for continued NCC support to scale the initiative nationwide, particularly by leveraging the commission’s infrastructure, networks and partnerships to extend digital skills training and certification opportunities to underserved communities.
He said the initiative aligned with Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework, which targets 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, noting that achieving the target would require sustained investment and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.
Daser added that DBI’s new status would position the institute to expand its impact and contribute to the development of a digitally skilled workforce in Nigeria and across Africa.
