The Nigerian government is working hard to make sure more people in the country are good with digital stuff. They want 70% of people to be digital savvy by 2027 and a huge 95% by 2030. To make this happen, they are planning to teach digital skills in schools. Kashifu Abdullahi, who runs the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), talked about this plan in Abuja on Wednesday. He said NITDA is teaming up with the Education Ministry to change what students learn in school. They want to add digital skills to all levels of school, from when kids are little to when they are in college.
But it is not just about schools. NITDA also wants to help everyone else who is not in school. They are thinking about a program called the “Digital Literacy for All Initiative.” The idea is to give people good digital stuff to learn and help them understand how to use tech and the internet for jobs and stuff.
Abdullahi also said theyare not forgetting about women, kids, and people who need extra help. They have got special programs for them too. The goal is to get everyone in Nigeria really good with digital stuff.
Nigeria does not just want people to be good with digital things. They want to be in charge of their own digital stuff. NITDA checked what skills people need for jobs, both in Nigeria and around the world. They found 12 important skills. So, they started something called the “Three Million Tech Talent Initiative.” It is about training three million Nigerians in these skills.
They are aiming to make Nigeria a big place for tech work. Nigeria’s got a lot going for it, like lots of young people, cool accents, and being in a good time zone. Abdullahi thinks Nigeria can be like India, which sends lots of smart people around the world to work in tech.
Some experts did a study called “Nigerian Brain Export: The Optimum Path to Developing Nigerian Economy.” It talks about how Nigeria can benefit if Nigerians work in tech worldwide but also bring back what they learn to help Nigeria.
Abdullahi ended by saying NITDA wants Nigeria to be a big deal in the digital world. They have got plans to make it happen by encouraging new ideas and businesses in Nigeria.
