The Digital Literacy For All (DL4ALL), a major federal government initiative anchored by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is positioned to ensure 70 percent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 percent by 2030. The initiative aims to empower citizens with essential digital skills, bridging the digital divide by training the youth, the workforce, and the informal sector to improve economic opportunities, innovation, and digital inclusion, with a focus on inclusive digital capacity across the nation.
This was made known last week in Abuja, at tje closing ceremony of a two-day digital training for People with Disabilities (PwD), organised with Inclusive Friends Association and SIMBED under the NITDA DL4ALL initiative. Speaking at the ceremony, the director-general of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa used the occasion to correct any notion that depicts PwDs as beneficiaries of charity, noting that they contribute immensely to national development.
Represented by Mr Oladejo Olawumi, Inuwa said the training ensured digital literacy inclusivity for all citizens. “We live in a world where digital technology defines how we learn, work, communicate and participate in society,” Inuwa said, adding that digital transformation remained incomplete if over 30 million Nigerians with disabilities were excluded. “For many PwDs, the challenge is accessibility to websites, non-captioned videos and platforms incompatible with assistive technologies. “These barriers limit opportunities, but PwDs are contributors to national goals, not charity beneficiaries,” the DG noted.
He said empowered PwDs become innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, driving productivity and innovation across sectors. Inuwa said DL4ALL operates through three programmes, including the informal sector, which has trained over 480,000 Nigerians.
He added that the education sector and workforce programmes formed the other implementation pillars, urging stakeholders to design accessible programmes, invest in inclusive skills and actively listen to PwDs. Inuwa encouraged participants to become ambassadors of digital inclusion and demand an ecosystem that worked for all.
