NITDA Seeks UBEC Backing as 1,500 Digital Centres Come on Stream

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA Kashifu Inuwa, has said stronger collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission is crucial to achieving Nigeria’s digital literacy targets and expanding technology access across the basic education system.

Inuwa stated this while receiving the management team of UBEC, led by its Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

He noted that although significant progress had been recorded in training teachers, the country must now prioritise measurable impact on students.

“For us, partnering with you will help us achieve more in terms of reaching all students in basic education,” he said.

According to him, digital literacy modules have been integrated into NITDA’s programmes and made mandatory for educators, with teacher capacity development already showing positive outcomes.

“We have achieved a lot in training teachers, but impact must be measurable. We need the numbers. How many students are being reached?” he queried.

Inuwa reiterated the agency’s target of attaining 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030, stressing the importance of data-driven monitoring.

“With this system, we should be able to know each teacher and how many people they are impacting, so that we can keep proper records and have the numbers,” he said, highlighting the role of Artificial Intelligence and data analytics in tracking nationwide progress.

On infrastructure, the NITDA boss disclosed that over 1,500 digital learning centres had been deployed across the country to promote inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services.

He, however, admitted that while some centres were fully utilised, others were underused.

“We want every Nigerian to have access to digital infrastructure and services,” he said, urging both agencies to harmonise their data and map their interventions to maximise impact.

Inuwa also called for the exploration of sustainable internet connectivity models for schools.

“Let us explore multiple services they can use. How can we get more internet services to schools?” he asked, noting that connectivity remains critical to unlocking the full benefits of digital learning facilities.

Beyond infrastructure, he offered to share NITDA’s digital transformation playbook with UBEC to support internal reforms within the commission.

“Digital transformation is a journey. It is not a one-off initiative. At each stage, when you reach your target, you need to set a new one,” he said.

In her remarks, Garba described the partnership with NITDA as strategic to UBEC’s mandate of ensuring universal access to basic education.

“For us in UBEC, our key mandate is universal access to basic education for all Nigerian children. So, it’s a big responsibility,” she said, adding that the commission could not achieve its objectives alone.

“We always seek partners that work with us — not just government agencies, but also communities and parents,” she stated.

Garba said over 47 million children are currently within Nigeria’s basic education system, underscoring the magnitude of the task ahead.

“Whatever the number is, it’s not a small one. Outside basic education, you have fewer than five million. So, this is really the biggest stake we all have,” she said.

She stressed that collaboration with NITDA was necessary to bridge access gaps and improve education quality, particularly in states grappling with enrolment and foundational literacy challenges.