ICT enthusiast, Rukayya Sadauki, in this report, argues that Mallam Kashifu Inuwa’s creative touch in NITDA has positioned Nigeria to become a digital excellence hub in no distance time.
2023 is still and indeed a brand-new year, and 2022 was all but a memory and those whose lives were positively transformed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), will continue to be indelible in their lives.
Since he assumed office in 2019, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, the young and vibrant NITDA DG/CEO, sets his eyes on transforming the country’s digital landscape first and foremost to demonstrate that internet is not only a platform for social engagement but also a platform for massive job opportunities and skills for millions of Nigeria especially as the country increasingly becomes more integrated into the global economy and digital infrastructure.
As part of its effort therefore to bolster digital literacy and upscale skills among Nigerian youth, NITDA under Inuwa, was able to train 67 members of Youth and Environmental Development Association (YEDA) on digital marketing.
Not done yet he took on members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, because of their overarching importance in news and information dissemination. Indeed, Nigerian Journalists were not left behind as the agency trained over 100 journalists in 2022 on digital journalism as more and more Nigerians rely on internet for news update which means internet is here to stay in Nigeria. This is the first of its kind.
Inuwa, was also instrumental in training over 300 women on digital skills in a bid to empower women to play active roles in digital content and job opportunities online which is in line with the policy priority of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. This giant stride recorded by Inuwa would go down in history as one of the most realistic legacies to empower women and help them be financial independent in the long run.
210 hub managers had been mentored in 2022 alone. 300 participants of MDAs were trained on digital skills in 2022. Over 1500 junior secondary school teachers were trained on digital skills such online schools, copy editing, online sales and other necessary skills that are vital to economic development.
Moreover, the agency his pilot liaised with Kano State Government to train 53 senior executives on e-government and how to cut down the cost of governance in the state.
With 573 civil servants trained on management leadership; 6644 youths were trained on Digital Skills transformation Programme across the country; and 1858 beneficiaries were in 2022 trained on phone repairs in Nigeria.
NITDA under Inuwa did not stop here as the agency keeps trailblazing and preparing the country for digital transition. Scholarships were offered to 652 students: 42 PhD students and 610 MSCs students.
When it comes to empowerment, NITDA distributed 530 laptops and desktops to Nigerian students in 2022. 966 tools of different varieties were provided to trainees, and 485000 have been trained on NART to mention but a few.
As a result of compliance with National Data Protection Regulation, over 75 domain names had been registered in 2022. 5764 people were trained on NDPR. 985 audits were filled, and the market value of the NDPR soared for the first time ever to N1.2 billion.
While these achievements did not take into accounts several other projects the agency under Kashifu Inuwa embarked, Nigeria is well in a better position to become a hub of digital excellence over the next few years.
With a total population of over 200 million people, training Nigerians on proper utilization of digital content would present massive opportunities for Nigerian youths who are in a desperate search for jobs to keep their bodies and souls together.
As a result of the training, over 7500 jobs were created in 2022 with multiplier effects. Making a dent in unemployment rate using digital literacy and skills remains the top policy priority under Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi as he keeps exploring ways and opportunities for Nigerians.
As we enter 2023, our hope is NITDA would continue to demonstrate its willingness to accelerate our digital transition and pave the way for socioeconomic growth.
Sadauki, who did her SIWES with NITDA, wrote from Abuja.
