By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The Federal Government has launched a digital literacy training programme for federal civil servants in an effort to enhance the skills and competencies of government employees in navigating digital tools and technologies, Cyber Era NG learns.
According to a statement accessed by Cyber Era NG and e-signed by the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar, Tuesday, this initiative is a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The programme aims to equip civil servants with the necessary skills to effectively utilise digital technologies, thereby improving their productivity and efficiency. This is particularly important as digital transformation is fundamentally about people, and having a workforce that is proficient in digital tools is crucial for driving economic growth and development.
The Director-General, of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, at the launch of a 3-day workshop on digital literacy training and certification for federal civil servants in Abuja, emphasised that digital transformation was a journey, not a destination, and it was fundamentally about people, not technology.
Mallam Abdullahi stressed that without the active involvement and engagement of individuals, technology alone would not drive meaningful change. Said Abdullahi: “Technology makes our lives better, the government cannot accomplish that without you, as you are the one who creates the policies, designs the services, and delivers them to citizens”
The NITDA boss revealed that to reach the ambitious goal of 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027, NITDA had launched an innovative initiative called Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) aimed at empowering Nigerians with essential digital skills, making them digitally literate and proficient in navigating the digital landscape.
He said, “The first initiative to work with the Ministry of Education to develop digital literacy skills curriculum has been approved and we started the implementation this month. We are working now on training all teachers and collaborating with National University Commission, National Board for Technical Education, and National Commission for Colleges of Education, to infuse it in all tertiary institutions curriculum.
“The second one is working with NYSC to recruit 80 champions in each NYSC stream, every year we will train at least Ten million and three hundred thousand Nigerians on digital literacy. And the third one is the workforce readiness. According to world Bank, by 2030 between 35 to 45 per cent of work in Nigeria will need digital competency,”.
The representative of Head of Service of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, emphasised the importance of transforming the civil service into a dynamic, technology-driven, and globally competitive workforce, adding that the vision was a cornerstone of the Federal Service Commission’s strategy and implementation plan, which prioritised the journey towards a digitally literate civil service.
She maintained that the workshop was not just a training exercise, but a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of Nigeria’s public service. “By acquiring cutting-edge tools and knowledge, participants will be empowered to deliver their mandate more effectively, driving meaningful change and progress in the country, she averred.
While acknowledging that the partnership between the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and NITDA, served as a shining example of collaboration in achieving shared goals, she expressed her gratitude to NITDA and other participating organisations for their roles in bringing this vision to life.
“This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to harness the power of digital technology and drive meaningful change in Nigeria’s public service,” she added.
