The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on the state governments in Nigeria’s South-South region to work closely together. As NITDA believe this is crucial for achieving the country’s digital economy goals.
This was said by Kashifu Inuwa, the NITDA Director-General, on Sunday during the agency’s virtual meeting on the South-South ICT Stakeholders Forum. The meeting brought together policymakers, technology leaders, civil society organizations and ecosystem participants. They discussed ways to advance development in the region.
Inuwa said NITDA has made progress at the federal level. However, he emphasised that the real test of success is in turning policies into practical programs at the state level. He stressed that states need to adopt policies and create plans to implement them.
”The Nigerian Startup Act and the National Digital Literacy Framework provide foundations “, Inuwa said.
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Some states have set up ICT ministries and agencies. However, Inuwa noted that some still lack the laws and governance structures.
NITDA is willing to offer assistance to states that want to improve their digital ecosystems.
Digital literacy is key to growth, according to Inuwa. The National Digital Literacy Framework aims to achieve 95% literacy across the country by 2030. Inuwa said digital skills have been added to school curricula. He also mentioned that educators nationwide are participating in capacity-building programs to facilitate technology-driven learning.
Inuwa encouraged South-South states to ensure that teachers in both private schools are fully engaged in this initiative.
Inuwa also talked about initiatives to improve the skills of servants. He said over 54,000 federal civil servants have signed up for structured digital skills training. This training is in partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.
