The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering grassroots communities through expanded digital literacy programmes, saying greater collaboration with community-based organisations will be critical to ensuring that Nigerians in underserved areas are not left behind in the country’s digital transformation journey.
The assurance was given by the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, during a courtesy visit by the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, Mrs. Faith Ayuba, to the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Digital Development Services, Mr. Oluwunmi Oladejo, the NITDA Director General said the Agency remains focused on extending digital opportunities to every segment of society by equipping citizens with the skills needed to participate in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
He noted that partnerships with organisations working at the community level have become an important part of NITDA’s strategy for expanding digital literacy, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to technology remains limited.
According to Inuwa, feedback from beneficiaries of the Agency’s intervention programmes has demonstrated that investments in digital infrastructure and skills development continue to produce lasting social and economic benefits years after their implementation.
“It is always gratifying to receive feedback from communities that have benefited from our interventions. Many of these projects were implemented years ago, and it is rewarding to know they are still creating opportunities,” he said.
He explained that NITDA continues to monitor the performance of its digital intervention centres across the country while deploying emerging technologies to improve digital learning and virtual capacity-building initiatives.
The Director General added that the Agency’s National Digital Literacy Framework remains central to its mission of equipping children, students, artisans, farmers, professionals and other groups with practical digital competencies required for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Responding to requests by the Foundation for additional support, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA is considering training community-based instructors who will sustain digital literacy programmes at the grassroots, thereby ensuring greater local ownership and long-term sustainability of its interventions.
He encouraged the Foundation to submit a formal request detailing activities at its digital centre to facilitate further support from the Agency.
While reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to expanding digital inclusion, Inuwa acknowledged that maintaining reliable internet connectivity at intervention centres across the country remains a major challenge due to funding constraints, stressing the need for stronger collaboration and innovative solutions to sustain the facilities.
Earlier, Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, Mrs. Faith Ayuba, praised NITDA’s commitment to partnering with organisations dedicated to improving the lives of people in rural communities.
She described the Agency as one of the few government institutions that supports initiatives based on measurable impact rather than personal connections, noting that the Foundation has witnessed firsthand the transformational effect of NITDA’s interventions.
Ayuba explained that the Foundation focuses on expanding access to education, strengthening food systems, improving food security and providing social protection for women and young people living in hard-to-reach communities.
She highlighted the impact of NITDA’s Knowledge Access Centre established at the Foundation’s community school in a border community in Kogi State, describing it as a catalyst for educational advancement and digital inclusion.
According to her, the ICT centre has provided students and community members with access to computers, internet services and digital learning resources that were previously unavailable.
“The ICT centre became an equaliser. Young people who ordinarily would never have had access to computers or the internet suddenly had the opportunity to acquire digital knowledge. We came back simply to say thank you because this partnership has changed lives,” she said.
Ayuba revealed that more than 1,000 children have benefited from the Foundation’s educational programmes. She also presented a former student who successfully progressed from the community school to a Nigerian university after making use of the digital resources available at the centre, describing the achievement as proof of the initiative’s enduring impact.
She appealed for deeper collaboration with NITDA through the training of community instructors, upgrading of computer systems and expanded access to the Agency’s digital capacity-building programmes, stressing that rural communities must be adequately prepared to benefit from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other digital innovations.
Both organisations concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to strengthening collaboration aimed at expanding digital opportunities, building digital skills at the grassroots and advancing Nigeria’s vision of an inclusive digital economy driven by innovation and equal access to technology.
