How FG will unlock $130bn digital skills market

The Nigerian government plans to unlock the digital skills market in sub-Saharan Africa, which is valued at $130 billion, by creating industry and enabling private sector participation.

At least, 28 million jobs in Nigeria and 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. To achieve this, the government needs to empower 230 million people, which will require a $130 billion investment.

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Kashifu Abdullahi, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said at a dialogue on the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) that the market represents a huge investment opportunity, especially for the private sector. Abdullahi emphasized that the government alone cannot handle this market, and therefore, it is creating an enabling environment for private sectors to create value.

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Abdullahi also informed that the digital literacy framework has set a target to empower 95 percent of Nigerians with digital skills by 2030. The DG pointed out that anyone who cannot use digital devices is illiterate and urged a review of the school curriculum to set the stage for everyone to be digitally literate in Nigeria.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, said that the biggest challenge in Nigeria’s digital literacy target is illiteracy rather than access. Tijani emphasized that for Nigeria to drive prosperity, people must be digitally literate and participate in the global economy.

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The Head of the GIZ/DTC, Thuweba Diwani, informed that the roundtable aimed to raise awareness and promote an under-organized framework and also inspire people to act towards the implementation and domestication of strategic initiatives within the framework.

The GIZ/DTC Nigeria will provide support to NITDA through the development of participatory implementation frameworks at federal and state levels for the Nigerian Startup Act and NDLF; harmonization of Digital Literacy Standards; monitoring, and capacity development.