News Highlights:
- NITDA says teachers are pivotal to Nigeria’s digital transformation, shifting from traditional instructors to mentors guiding students’ safe and responsible use of technology.
- Stakeholders at the Abuja dialogue stressed that strengthening teachers’ digital skills and infrastructure is essential for achieving Nigeria’s 70% digital literacy target by 2027.
Nigeria’s march toward a technology-driven economy will be won or lost in its classrooms, not just in tech hubs or policy rooms, according to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa.
Inuwa, whose remarks were delivered at a stakeholders’ dialogue in Abuja organised by the Development of Educational Action Network Initiative (DEAN), stressed that teachers now occupy a strategic frontline in the nation’s digital transformation, as education systems adapt to rapid technological change.
Addressing participants on the theme “Nigeria’s Current Digital Landscape: Our Reality and Its Practical Connection to Education,” Inuwa, represented by NITDA’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Aristotle Onumo, said the explosive growth of the digital economy is fundamentally reshaping how learning occurs and redefining what it means to teach in the 21st century.
He noted that digital tools have opened unprecedented access to knowledge and opportunity for students, but also introduced new risks that require careful guidance.
According to him, teachers must go beyond the traditional role of knowledge transmission to become mentors who help students navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
“Teachers are no longer just instructors; they are now guides who help students identify credible information, avoid harmful online content, and develop responsible digital behaviour,” he said.
Inuwa added that educators must cultivate critical thinking among students while equipping them with the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven society.
He reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to expanding digital literacy across the country through initiatives such as the ‘Digital Literacy for All’ programme and strategic partnerships with educational institutions aimed at strengthening teachers’ technological competence.
The NITDA chief emphasised that empowering teachers with digital skills is essential to preparing Nigerian students for the future workforce and ensuring the nation remains competitive in the global digital economy.
Nigeria is pursuing an ambitious national target of achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027, a cornerstone of broader efforts to build a knowledge-based economy powered by innovation and technology.
Earlier, the Executive Director of DEAN Initiative, Semiye Michael, explained that the workshop was designed to realign teachers’ capacity with the demands of the digital age.
“We need to strengthen teachers’ competence and provide them with access to the necessary digital infrastructure,” Michael said, noting that the engagement would also help shape policies supporting technology-driven learning in Nigerian schools.
He described the workshop as an “awesome experience,” adding that ideas generated would be consolidated into a policy guide for the ministry and other relevant agencies.
Michael further observed that boosting teachers’ digital capacity is critical to improving Nigeria’s standing in the global knowledge economy.
The dialogue drew participation from key institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), and private-sector experts, underscoring the growing consensus that education reform is central to national digital progress.
