Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Digital Literacy, which he said would in the long run bridge the global talent gap in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector and place the country among technology-driven nations.
Inuwa said this as a panelist at the just-concluded Nigeria-Spanish Business and Trade Forum, in Madrid, Spain.
“Nigeria has talented youths and is blessed with one of the youngest populations in the world; by 2050 we will be the third most populous nation in the world; so, we are concerned about Digital Literacy because the world is moving towards a digital and knowledge-based economy and there is a global talent gap in ICT,” he said.
The NITDA boss, who noted that ICT is the third-largest sector in Nigeria, told the forum that so far, the Implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria, which was unveiled and launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 28, 2019, has been phenomenally successful with monumental impact on the nation’s economy.
“The policy launch placed Nigeria on the Global Digital Economy Map and opened the doors for investors to come and invest in key sectors of the economy. Indeed, in the history of Nigeria, we have never had an administration which is ICT friendly like the Buhari administration”.
The Director-General also went further to explain the strategic pillars under the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which he said three among the pillars are the key focus of NITDA: “Building Infrastructure, Talents (digital skills and literacy) and Suitable Environment for investments to thrive remain parts of NITDA’s targets,” he said.