NITDA DG tasks teachers on practical digital skills
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, has urged Nigerian educators to move beyond examination-focused teaching and equip students with practical digital skills needed to secure jobs, drive innovation and boost economic growth.
Inuwa made the call at the English West and Central Africa Instructor Safari Conference 2026 in Abuja, where he stressed that critical thinking, problem-solving and continuous learning would determine young people’s success in an increasingly technology-driven workplace.
He said digital education should focus on practical competencies that learners could apply to real-life challenges rather than theoretical knowledge and examination results.
Drawing from his experience as an alumnus of Cisco Networking Academy, the NITDA boss explained that digital skills training had helped shape his career, creating opportunities for him to transition from website development to network engineering.
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He urged instructors to prioritise hands-on training, root-cause analysis, systems thinking and leadership to prepare Nigerian youths for changing workplace demands.
Citing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, Inuwa said technological advancements were projected to create 170 million jobs globally by 2030 while displacing about 92 million existing roles.
He said the projections reinforced the need for Nigerians to embrace lifelong learning and continuous upskilling to remain competitive in the digital economy.
Inuwa described digital literacy as fundamental to national development, economic competitiveness and inclusive growth, adding that digital competence had become as essential as reading, writing and numeracy.
He linked investment in digital skills and human capital to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of growing Nigeria’s economy to $1tn by 2030, stressing that a technology-ready workforce would be critical to achieving the target.
The NITDA chief disclosed that the agency had partnered with Nasarawa State University to pilot digital literacy as a General Studies course, an initiative aimed at exposing students across disciplines to essential technology skills.
He also highlighted government efforts to integrate digital literacy into formal education through curriculum reforms, teacher training and partnerships with educational institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to digital literacy, describing technology education as essential to preparing Nigerian youths for the future of work.
Alausa disclosed that the government had updated the national curriculum to introduce digital technology at the primary school level, with NITDA and the Universal Basic Education Commission supporting teacher training and the provision of digital learning resources.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, Cisco Networking Academy, educational institutions and development partners to expand access to digital education and improve the employability of graduates.
The minister urged Cisco to extend its practical training programmes to colleges of education, federal technical colleges and state technical colleges, noting that stronger links between training institutions and employers would help bridge the gap between classroom learning and workplace requirements.
He identified practical projects, mentorship, internships and recognised certifications as essential components of digital skills programmes.
Alausa also called for deliberate efforts to extend digital learning opportunities to girls, persons with disabilities, rural communities and financially disadvantaged students.
He said the ministry had collaborated with the Nigerian Communications Commission to provide zero-rated data access to educational content, helping to reduce the cost barriers preventing some learners from accessing digital resources.
The minister further expressed support for proposals to introduce digital literacy as a General Studies course in tertiary institutions, while urging young Nigerians to apply their knowledge to solving practical problems.
Meanwhile, Cisco West Africa General Manager, Abdulaziz Saeed, said Cisco Networking Academy had reached approximately 1.4 million students in Nigeria since its establishment in 1997.
Saeed said the programme had reached about 30 million students across 105 countries globally, with approximately 6.5 million active students in the 2026 fiscal year.
Figures presented at the conference showed that Nigeria had about 338,000 active students on the platform, 696 instructors and partnerships with 369 academic institutions.
He identified cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and software programming as critical areas of competence for young people seeking to succeed in the modern workforce.
Saeed stressed that collaboration among government, educational institutions, international organisations and the private sector remained essential to expanding access to digital training, strengthening infrastructure and bridging the digital divide.
