The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has welcomed a proposed partnership with the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to expand digital literacy training to rural and underserved communities across Nigeria.
Inuwa received a delegation from DBI and ITU on a courtesy visit to NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, where the team announced that DBI has become the world’s first institution to hold both the ITU Academy Training Centre (ATC) and Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) designations.
Led by ITU Senior Digital Skills Officer, Ms. Robin Fish, the delegation explained that DBI’s ATC status has enabled the institute to deliver ITU-certified professional courses to engineers and other professionals across Africa.
With its new DTC designation, the institute is expected to extend its digital inclusion activities to citizens in rural and underserved communities through free digital literacy training.
The DTC Initiative, launched by ITU in partnership with Cisco in 2019, currently operates in 16 countries, including eight African countries. Its model is designed to take digital skills training beyond conventional classrooms into villages, informal settlements and other communities with limited access to digital education.
Beneficiaries of the programme are also eligible to receive free ITU certificates upon completion of the training.
During the meeting, DBI proposed leveraging NITDA’s nationwide network of Digital Learning Centres to expand the initiative and deepen grassroots digital inclusion across Nigeria.
Responding, the NITDA Director-General welcomed the proposed collaboration, noting that it aligns with the National Digital Literacy Framework and the Federal Government’s target of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030.
Inuwa also acknowledged the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) proposal submitted by DBI and directed that it be reviewed for immediate action.
The meeting ended with both parties expressing commitment to strengthening their collaboration and expanding access to digital skills, particularly among Nigerians in rural and underserved communities.
