Nigeria’s push toward a digitally enabled public service is gaining measurable traction, with over 54,000 civil servants enrolled in the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative—an effort positioned as a cornerstone of broader public sector reform.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed that 54,377 officers, representing nearly 79 per cent participation, have signed up for the programme, while more than 40 per cent have successfully completed their courses.
Speaking at the DL4ALL training awards ceremony, Inuwa underscored the Federal Government’s target of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy nationwide by 2030, with an interim benchmark of 70 per cent by 2027.
He described the initiative as strategically aligned with Nigeria’s national development priorities and essential to strengthening governance structures.
According to him, the DL4ALL programme was designed to equip civil servants with foundational digital competencies required for efficient service delivery.
Implemented in partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the initiative initially encountered structural challenges, including limited access to official email accounts. These issues, he noted, were resolved through coordinated institutional interventions.
To improve completion rates and encourage practical application of acquired skills, incentives such as laptop presentations were introduced.
Inuwa emphasised that digital competence not only enhances workplace efficiency but also strengthens national human capital beyond the public sector.
Also addressing participants, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the awards ceremony as both a recognition platform and a performance assessment mechanism.
She stressed that digital literacy has evolved from an optional skill to a strategic imperative for productivity and effective governance.
Walson-Jack revealed that plans are underway to transition ministries and extra-ministerial departments to fully paperless operations by December 2025, signalling a significant shift in administrative processes.
She called for sustained upskilling across all cadres of the civil service to ensure institutional resilience in the face of rapidly evolving technological demands.
A total of 35 officers were recognised for exceptional performance under the programme, with the Head of Service urging wider participation to deepen institutional capacity.
While the speakers reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to embed digital literacy within ongoing public service reforms, NITDA reiterated its commitment to advancing digital inclusion, strengthening capacity development, and supporting Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.
