79% civil servants participated in digital literacy training – NITDA

Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), says 79 per cent of civil servants have participated in the Digital Literacy For All (DL4ALL) initiative.

Inuwa said this at the DL4ALL training awards programme on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the Federal Government remained committed to strengthening digital capacity across the public service to improve governance and service delivery.

According to him, Nigeria was targeting 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, with a mid-term milestone of 70 per cent by 2027, saying that the initiative aligned with national development priorities.

Inuwa explained that the DL4ALL programme was designed to equip civil servants with foundational digital skills needed for effective service delivery.

“So far, 54,377 civil servants have enrolled for the DL4ALL, which represents nearly 79 per cent participation, while over 40 per cent have completed their courses,”he said.

He added that incentives, including the presentation of laptops, were introduced to encourage course completion and promote the practical application of digital skills.

Inuwa said digital competence enhances professional relevance and contributes to national capacity development beyond the public service.

He commended the collaboration between NITDA and the Office of the Head of Service, describing it as critical to sustaining digital transformation and improving service delivery.

Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the awards programme as an opportunity to recognise outstanding performance.

According to her, the programme will also assess progress toward a digitally enabled public service.

She said digital competence had become a strategic requirement for productivity and governance, noting that the DL4ALL initiative ensures inclusive access to digital skills across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)

Walson-Jack said that they had been implementing strategies which ensured the transition of ministries and extra-ministerial departments to paperless operations from 2025.

She stressed the need for continuous up-skilling of civil servants to keep pace with evolving administrative demands.

The Head of Service also announced the recognition of 35 officers for exceptional performance, and encouraged broader participation across all cadres to strengthen institutional capacity.