The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has underscored the critical role of Nigeria’s human capital in driving national development and enhancing global competitiveness.
Speaking while receiving a delegation from the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, Inuwa noted that Nigeria’s youthful and rapidly growing population presents a unique opportunity, particularly as many countries grapple with ageing populations and shrinking workforces.
“With the right investments in education and digital skills, Nigeria can transform its demographic advantage into a powerful engine for economic growth and global relevance. The country has the potential to become a global talent hub and a net exporter of skilled professionals”, said Inuwa.
Drawing comparisons with India, Inuwa highlighted how sustained investments in human capital have enabled the Asian nation to produce top executives in leading global technology firms, attributing this success to a deliberate system of talent development and global placement.
Addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school population, he said equipping millions of underserved individuals with digital skills could unlock vast economic opportunities and help bridge the global talent gap.
Central to this ambition, he explained that NITDA’s National Digital Literacy Framework aims to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy nationwide by 2030.
Inuwa further noted that digital skills could transform key sectors such as agriculture and commerce, enabling farmers to improve productivity through data-driven decisions and helping small-scale traders expand their reach via online platforms.
Earlier, the commission’s Executive Secretary, Muhammad Sani Idris, commended NITDA’s efforts but expressed concern over the growing number of out-of-school children, calling for coordinated action to reform the Almajiri system and expand access to education.
