The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to accelerate digital literacy and expand access to technology across Nigeria’s basic education system.
Inuwa made this known while receiving the UBEC management team, led by its Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, during a courtesy visit to NITDA headquarters in Abuja.
He stressed that collaboration between NITDA and UBEC is critical to achieving Nigeria’s national digital literacy targets. “Partnering with you will help us achieve more in terms of reaching all students in basic education,” he said, noting that although significant progress has been made in training teachers, greater focus must now be placed on learners.
According to him, teacher capacity development initiatives are already yielding results, with digital literacy modules integrated into NITDA’s programmes and made mandatory for educators.
“We have achieved a lot in training teachers, but impact must be measurable. “We need the numbers — how many students are being reached?”, he said.
He reiterated NITDA’s digital literacy targets of 70 per cent by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030.
The Director General underscored the importance of leveraging data to track outcomes effectively. He explained that with a robust system in place, the agency should be able to identify each trained teacher and the number of students impacted, ensuring proper documentation and measurable results.
He also highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence and data analytics in monitoring nationwide progress.
On infrastructure, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has established over 1,500 digital learning centres across the country under its strategic pillar of promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services. While some centres are optimally utilised, others remain underused. He proposed closer collaboration between both agencies through data sharing, mapping of interventions and coordinated planning to maximise impact.
Addressing internet connectivity in schools, he called for the exploration of sustainable models to improve access. “Let us explore multiple services they can use. How can we get more internet services to schools?” he asked, emphasising that reliable connectivity is essential to unlocking the full benefits of digital learning facilities.
Beyond infrastructure and literacy, Inuwa offered to share NITDA’s digital transformation playbook with UBEC to support internal reforms within the commission. He described digital transformation as a continuous journey rather than a one-off initiative, noting that new targets must be set as milestones are achieved.
He cited NITDA’s AI transformation roadmap, which included training staff on Generative AI and encouraging the development of innovative use cases. According to him, the initiative was designed to demonstrate how AI can enhance productivity. He maintained that AI is not intended to replace workers but to empower them, adding that process re-engineering within the agency has reduced administrative bottlenecks and enabled leadership to focus more on strategic direction.
In her remarks, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, described the partnership with NITDA as strategic and essential. She noted that UBEC’s core mandate is to ensure universal access to basic education for all Nigerian children, a responsibility she said cannot be achieved alone.
Garba highlighted the scale of the challenge, stating that over 47 million children are currently within Nigeria’s basic education system. She observed that basic education accounts for the largest share of the country’s student population and stressed the need for sustained collaboration to address access gaps and improve quality, particularly in states facing enrolment and foundational literacy challenges.
She expressed appreciation for the continued support of the NITDA Director General and reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to deepening collaboration to leverage technology in strengthening Nigeria’s education system.
