As part of initiatives to boost the efficiency and productivity of civil servants, enabling them to navigate the digital landscape with ease, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a digital literacy training program aimed at equipping federal civil servants with essential skills to effectively utilize digital technologies.
The program which is a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, underscores the government’s commitment to leveraging technology to drive growth and development.
During the launch of a 3-day workshop on digital literacy training and certification for federal civil servants in Abuja, The Director General, of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE noted that technology alone will not drive meaningful change unless there is an active involvement and engagement of individuals. He said,
“Technology makes our lives better, the government cannot accomplish that without you, as you are the one who creates the policies, designs the services, and delivers them to citizens
“The first initiative to work with the Ministry of Education to develop digital literacy skills curriculum has been approved and we started the implementation this month. We are working now on training all teachers and collaborating with National University Commission, National Board for Technical Education, and National Commission for Colleges of Education, to infuse it in all tertiary institutions curriculum.
“The second one is working with NYSC to recruit 80 champions in each NYSC stream, every year we will train at least Ten million and three hundred thousand Nigerians on digital literacy. And the third one is the workforce readiness. According to world Bank, by 2030 between 35 to 45 percent of work in Nigeria will need digital competency,”
The program according to him, aims to train a significant number of public servants, with plans to train up to 500,000 workers on digital literacy.
This ambitious target reflects the government’s recognition of the relevance of digital literacy in the modern workplace and speaking on this importance, the representative of Head of Service of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, emphasized the need for transforming the civil service into a dynamic, technology-driven, and globally competitive workforce. She said,
“By acquiring cutting-edge tools and knowledge, participants will be empowered to deliver their mandate more effectively, driving meaningful change and progress in the country.
This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to harness the power of digital technology and drive meaningful change in Nigeria’s public service,”
Overall, this initiative demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to building a digitally savvy workforce, equipped to drive growth, innovation, and development, moving Nigeria forward.
