The Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding digital inclusion through strategic partnerships that equip underserved communities with digital skills and access to technology, as part of efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, Mrs. Faith Ayuba, to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Digital Development Services, Mr. Oluwunmi Oladejo, Inuwa said collaboration with community-based organisations is central to NITDA’s vision of ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind in the digital economy.
He noted that the Foundation’s visit and positive feedback reflect the lasting impact of NITDA’s interventions across the country.
The NITDA boss explained that the agency continues to monitor the performance of its intervention centres nationwide while deploying emerging technologies to strengthen digital learning and virtual capacity-building. He added that the National Digital Literacy Framework remains the foundation of NITDA’s drive to equip children, students, artisans, farmers, professionals and other groups with the digital skills needed to thrive in a technology-driven economy.
Responding to requests for additional support, Inuwa said the agency would consider training community-based instructors to sustain grassroots digital literacy programmes. He urged the Foundation to submit a formal request, supported with evidence of activities at the centre, to facilitate further intervention.
He, however, acknowledged that maintaining internet connectivity across intervention centres nationwide remains a major funding challenge that requires innovative solutions and stronger collaboration.
Earlier, Ayuba commended NITDA for its openness to partnerships and commitment to supporting impactful initiatives. She described the agency as one of the few government institutions that prioritises credible projects based on measurable impact rather than personal connections.
According to her, the Foundation focuses on expanding access to education, strengthening food systems, improving food security and providing social protection for women and young people, particularly in underserved rural communities.
Ayuba said NITDA’s Knowledge Access Centre, established at the Foundation’s community school in a border community in Kogi State, has transformed learning by providing students and residents with access to computers, internet services and digital education.
“The ICT centre became an equaliser. Young people who ordinarily would never have had access to computers or the internet suddenly had the opportunity to acquire digital knowledge. We came back simply to say thank you because this partnership has changed lives,” she said.
She disclosed that more than 1,000 children have benefited from the Foundation’s educational programmes and presented a former student who advanced from the community school to a Nigerian university after leveraging the digital resources available at the centre, describing the achievement as proof of the initiative’s lasting impact.
Ayuba also appealed for deeper collaboration through the training of community instructors, upgrading of computer systems and expanded access to NITDA’s digital capacity-building programmes. She stressed that rural communities must not be left behind as Nigeria advances in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
