The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled a digital literacy dashboard that has captured about 2.76 million training achievements since January 2022, as Nigeria targets 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 National Digital Literacy Workshop.

He said 248 organisations were reporting their interventions through the dashboard, with records covering all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including the country’s 774 local government areas.

However, women account for only 32.9 per cent of recorded participation, pointing to the need for more inclusive digital skills programmes.

Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework sets a target of 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030.

Abdullahi said the dashboard would help the government identify gaps in digital skills training, reduce duplication of interventions and direct resources to underserved communities.

“We are not simply introducing another technology platform. We are strengthening the foundation for evidence-based human capital development,” he said.

The workshop, themed “Measuring Progress, Strengthening Partnerships, Accelerating Impact,” also featured the launch of key national digital literacy instruments, presentation of the country’s consolidated digital literacy progress, a demonstration of the Partner Integration API and the inaugural National Digital Literacy Awards.

Abdullahi said several government agencies, state governments, technology companies, educational institutions and development partners were implementing digital literacy programmes, but their activities were not always properly coordinated.

“One organisation may be implementing an intervention in a community where another has already delivered similar training. Meanwhile, another community may remain completely underserved,” he said.

He urged organisations involved in digital skills development to register on the dashboard, submit credible information about their programmes and update their records regularly.

The NITDA chief, however, cautioned against equating training records with proven digital competence, noting that participation figures alone could not establish whether beneficiaries had acquired practical skills.

He said assessments must go beyond the number of people trained to determine whether participants could apply their knowledge to improve their businesses, work and daily lives.

The Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative focuses on formal education, workforce development and the informal sector.

Under the informal-sector programme, implemented in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps, more than 20,000 trainers and over 803,000 trainees have been recorded.

The broader programme aims to reach 50 million Nigerians through training and other interventions.

Abdullahi said digital literacy had become essential to improving productivity, expanding business opportunities, accessing public services and protecting citizens from online fraud.

He added that digital competence was increasingly important as artificial intelligence transformed education, commerce, workplaces and public service delivery.

The initiative, he said, would also support the Federal Government’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030 by improving the skills required for innovation, industrialisation and economic diversification.

In his remarks, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Engr. Adetunji O. Adeyemo, called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, state governments, educational institutions, private-sector operators and development partners to achieve the national targets.

He said the ministry would continue to provide policy direction and promote institutional coordination to ensure that digital literacy programmes delivered measurable results.

“Our success must ultimately not be measured only by the numbers of people trained, but by the confidence Nigerians acquire and how effectively they apply those skills to improve their lives,” Adeyemo said.

He also called for more credible data to distinguish attendance at training programmes from demonstrated digital proficiency.

Adeyemo urged stakeholders to pay greater attention to women, persons with disabilities and underserved communities to ensure that the benefits of digital skills development reached more Nigerians.

NITDA established the National Digital Literacy Framework in 2023 to provide common standards and competencies for digital skills development.

The agency launched DL4ALL in 2024 to expand access to digital literacy training nationwide.

The framework covers six areas: device and software operations, information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, digital safety and problem-solving.

Under the framework, the government seeks to equip Nigerians across different occupations and educational backgrounds with the skills to use digital technology safely and productively.