NITDA advocates digital literacy for Nigeria’s challenges

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for more emphasis on digital literacy to solve the challenges facing the country.

Director General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi made the call in Abuja at the 2021 yearly National Innovation and Software summit organised by the Nigeria Association of Computing Students (NACOS) in collaboration with Financial Services Innovators (FSI).

Abdullahi who spoke on the theme “Technology Renaissance for Innovations and Productivity” maintained that at the heart of diversification and growth of the economy, reduction of poverty and job creation is digital literacy.

According to him, equipping Nigerian youths with the necessary digital skills would facilitate Nigeria’s transition to a digital economy. He added that about 200,000 Nigerians have been empowered with digital skills.

“The global economy is now driven by technology. The richest countries are making money from the digital economy, not resources. Innovation is about invention and commercialisation. Invention costs money but innovation makes money.

“We have so many initiatives which we use to help people develop soft skills, expose them to networks, and new ecosystems.

“As an agency, we have gone to all nook and cranny of this country to train people in rural areas on digital literacy. We have specialised programmes for women, artisans and farmers.

“We collaborate with stakeholders to organize this kind of event to empower Nigerian youth to come up with innovative solutions to solve our problems. This is the only way that can lead us out of poverty, and create prosperity because globally developed countries prioritise innovation”, Abdullahi said.

Executive Director, FSI, Aituaz Kola-Oladejo said the organisation was poised to create an environment for young innovators to thrive.

Lamenting that innovation is yet to be democratised in Nigeria, Kola-oladejo said democratizing innovation would create all-inclusive products at affordable rates for Nigerians.