How achievable is Nigeria’s 95% digital literacy target by 2030?

The Nigerian government is targeting to achieve a 95 percent literacy level in the country by 2030.

According to Kashifu Abdullahi, the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Federal Government has trained 200,000 youths in the use of productivity tools, digital content creation, and digital marketing this year alone.

Abdullahi speaking recently on the topic, ‘technology renaissance for innovation and productivity’, said globally, the most valuable companies in the world are in information technology.

“Today, even the richest countries are getting more money from the digital economy than resources like crude oil.

“At NITDA we crafted our strategic roadmap and action plan 2021 to 2024 with seven strategic pillars to help youths benefit from the national digital economy policy.

“We have a target of achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030. So, we have launched many initiatives to train people.

“This year alone, we have trained close to 200,000 Nigerians in different areas of digital literacy,” he said.

Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in recognition of the importance of digital literacy identified the benefits in promoting digital literacy in the country.

Danbatta said that digital literacy provides the confidence required by individual citizens to utilise digital content and tools, adding that it also helps citizens to effectively collaborate in creating digital content and becoming innovative problem-solvers within their socio-economic ecosystem.

Olayinka Bolarinwa, a public affairs analyst bared his mind to BusinessDay on this matter.

“Digital literacy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030, and this will help Nigerian youths to leapfrog beyond the digital age, have access to education and reduce unemployment. It will help them take over the affairs of the country, among others,” he said.

However, Bolarinwa expressed his worries that the goal might not see the light of the day after all.

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Friday Erhabor, a public servant described the government’s target of 95 percent digital literacy in the country by the year 2030 as bogus.

Speaking with BusinessDay, Erhabor said the 95 percent digital literacy target by 2030 is not realistic in a country where many children are out of school.

“Nigeria currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. Children out of school in Nigeria are over 10 million. Is it these children that they want to make digitally literate?

“They should get the out-of-school children inside schools first. The government keeps making bogus claims that are not realisable,” Erhabor said.

However, Stanley Alaubi, a university don believes it is achievable provided visionary leaders are put in place.

Alaubi reiterated that the benefits of digital literacy is enormous, hence the need to promote and sustain the quest.

“With the launch of eNaira, you can imagine the developmental stride we shall achieve. Like I said earlier, it boils down to good leadership.

“Though we might fall short of the 95 percent target, we might achieve 70 percent and that is a plus for the country,” he said.

Solomon Udoh, the chief executive officer of Global Solution Icons Limited says though things are not the ways they ought to be in Nigeria, with proper planning the 95 percent digital literacy project is achievable.

Udoh maintained that Nigeria needs to put its acts together in order to make the country relevant in the global community.

“The world is going digital and Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind,” he added.

The business icon noted that digital literacy will help create more start-up companies, thereby reducing unemployment. He cited NG Hub as one of the tech hub start-up firms doing well in that aspect.

Besides, he said it will help take some of the youths off the street. Moreover, Udoh stated that such a move will bring about foreign investments and positively put Nigeria on the global map. “It is a win-win thing and should be encouraged,” he said.