By James Ishaku
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated the need for a digitally skilled public sector workforce, saying the success of government reforms and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will depend largely on the digital capacity of civil servants.
Director-General of the NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this during a Digital Skills Masterclass organised by the Agency in collaboration with Meta for selected officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Mallam Abdullahi was represented at the event by NITDA’s Director of Digital Development Services, Olawumi Dejo.
Speaking at the event, Abdullahi said Nigeria’s aspiration to build a thriving digital economy required a public service equipped with the knowledge and competencies to embrace emerging technologies and modern governance practices.
He explained that NITDA developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) to provide a standardised roadmap for digital skills development across the country, ensuring that Nigerians acquired competencies aligned with international best practices while addressing local needs.
According to him, the framework was built around six core competency areas: device and software operations, information and data literacy, digital content creation, communication and collaboration, digital safety, and problem- solving.
He noted that the framework would enhance the ability of public servants to effectively utilise digital technologies, safeguard government information, strengthen collaboration across MDAs and improve the delivery of public services.
The NITDA Director General stressed that digital transformation extended beyond the deployment of technology, insisting that meaningful and sustainable reforms could only be achieved by investing in people.
“Technology alone cannot transform institutions. Real transformation happens when people acquire the right digital skills to rethink processes, improve productivity and deliver better outcomes,” he said.
Abdullahi described continuous learning as indispensable in an era of rapid technological advancement, particularly with the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence, urging civil servants to continuously upskill and reskill to remain effective.
He also encouraged participants to serve as change agents within their organisations by transferring the knowledge gained during the masterclass to their colleagues through a train-the-trainer approach that would accelerate digital capacity development across the public sector.
He disclosed that NITDA, in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, had trained more than 53,000 civil servants in digital skills, describing the initiative as a major step towards building an AI-ready and digitally competent public service.
He assured participants that the Agency would continue to expand digital learning opportunities to equip government workers with the skills needed to support ongoing reforms, enhance service delivery and position Nigeria to maximise the opportunities presented by emerging technologies.
The Digital Skills Masterclass is part of NITDA’s broader implementation of the National Digital Literacy Framework and its commitment to strengthening the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s digital economy.
In her remarks, Meta’s Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Victoria Oloni, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through its partnership with NITDA. Oloni observed that the increasing adoption of digital tools across government from electronic salary payments to the use of messaging platforms for official communication showed that the public service was steadily transitioning from analogue to digital operations.
She, however, noted that the next phase should focus on achieving institution-wide digital transformation rather than isolated adoption of technology by individuals.
According to her, digital transformation was a continuous journey that required sustained learning, collaboration and openness to innovation. She explained that the masterclass was designed to provide participants with practical skills for leveraging digital technologies to improve communication, efficiency and service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Oloni urged participants to maximise the opportunity presented by the training, emphasising that a digitally empowered workforce remained essential to building a more efficient, responsive and citizen centred public service.
