Digital Literacy: FG targets 70% Nigerians by 2027

…as NITDA partners stakeholder to include digital literacy in school curriculum
By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka, Abuja
10 July 2025

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has revealed the Federal Governments goal of achieving 70% digital literacy across Nigeria by 2027.

Inuwa, at a collaborative meeting hosted by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), stated that the goal is to attain 95% digital literacy across Nigeria by 2030, adding that the government’s strategic prioritisation of human capital development is central to its national transformation agenda.

“We started this journey in 2023 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board and he made it clear that economic diversification and inclusivity are part of the administration’s agenda, and the president outlined this in 8 priority areas to achieve the vision, with priority number 7 specifically focused on accelerating industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation,” he said.
He stated that NITDA has developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), a strategic blueprint aligned with international best practices, tailored to Nigeria’s specific needs – device and software operations, information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, content creation, safety, and problem solving; to make digital skills accessible to every Nigerian, from primary school pupils to working professionals.

According to Inuwa, despite data limitations, NITDA estimates that Nigeria’s digital literacy rate currently stands at 50%, up from 44% in 2021, based on extrapolations from the World Bank’s Better Life Report. The DG added that NITDA has been working closely with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in developing a curriculum for digital literacy, which can be infused into formal education. Stating that the visit is a continuation of NITDA’s ongoing engagements with key education stakeholders
Inuwa also revealed ongoing collaborations with global platforms such as Coursera to train teachers using AI-powered lesson generation tools and provide scalable online training.

UBEC Executive Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Garba in her response said the Commission has officially received the digital literacy curriculum developed by NITDA and NERDC and has commenced internal review processes. She described the curriculum as robust and forward-looking but stressed the need for simplification to suit early learners and teachers, citing challenges such as curriculum overload, limited teacher capacity, and inadequate infrastructure as key barriers to effective implementation.

“We’re committed to working with NITDA and NERDC to refine the curriculum, train teachers, and ensure effective delivery. Let us align the technical vision with grassroots realities to make a lasting impact,” she said.