The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has called for urgent and coordinated action on five strategic priorities to strengthen Nigeria’s digital resilience and drive inclusive growth.

Speaking yesterday at the 2026 Information Technology Assembly of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) in Abuja, Adedokun said Nigeria must prioritise investment in broadband and critical infrastructure to achieve true digital inclusion.

He said reliable and affordable connectivity should be extended to rural communities, schools, hospitals and underserved populations through infrastructure sharing, right-of-way reforms and stronger public-private partnerships.

Adedokun also advocated a nationwide digital literacy campaign, stressing that digital skills should become as fundamental as reading and writing.

According to him, every Nigerian child should acquire basic digital competence, while universities and professional institutions must align their curricula with emerging technologies and global standards.

On cybersecurity, he urged the country to move from reactive measures to proactive digital resilience, adding that cybersecurity awareness should become part of national culture rather than being confined to IT departments.

The BPP boss further called for stronger support for indigenous innovation and startups through improved access to funding, regulatory support, incubation ecosystems and government procurement opportunities.

He also emphasised the need for inclusive digital governance, insisting that women, persons with disabilities, rural communities, small and medium-scale enterprises and other marginalised groups should not be excluded from Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

“Inclusion is not charity. Inclusion is economic intelligence,” he said.

The two-day workshop, themed “Digital Resilience and Inclusion for the Digital Economy,” brought together policymakers, educators, technology experts and industry stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening digital infrastructure, expanding digital access and equipping citizens with relevant skills.

Declaring the event open, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the gathering as timely and visionary, noting that digital resilience had become a necessity amid rapid technological disruption, cybersecurity threats and global economic uncertainties.

He said the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to integrate digital literacy across all levels of education, strengthen STEM and technical training, and deepen research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science.

Alausa added that information technology remained central to enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness and expanding access to education, noting that the government had prioritised ICT deployment within the education sector as a key driver of reform.

He urged stakeholders to remain committed to digital innovation and education reform to position Nigeria as a competitive global player.

Also speaking, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Afolabi Salisu, said the National Assembly would continue to support policies and legislation aimed at advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

Akpabio said the Senate recognised the growing importance of cybersecurity and digital infrastructure protection, stressing the need for sustained investment in secure digital systems and institutional capacity building.

He added that stronger collaboration among policymakers, regulators, the private sector and academia would be critical to achieving digital resilience and adapting Nigeria’s legal frameworks to emerging technologies.