United Nations hail Nigeria’s digital inclusion milestone

Austin Okoro DDM NEWS

The United Nations celebrated Nigeria’s digital inclusion milestone after the country won the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize for its Digital Awareness Programme.

This program, implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), aims to promote inclusive digital access across the country.

The program provides secondary schools with information and communication technology (ICT) resources and internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research.

The initiative has been instrumental in strengthening digital literacy and inclusion in underserved areas.

The program received the highest number of votes in its category, Category C3 – Access to Information and Knowledge, among hundreds of international submissions.

The Nigerian government, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), aims to achieve 95% digital literacy across the country by 2030.

An intermediate target of 70% digital literacy has been set for 2027, with a focus on addressing all levels of digital fluency.

Nigeria’s current digital literacy rate stands at approximately 50%, up from 44% in 2021.

The DAP, one of hundreds of projects submitted for the WSIS Prizes competition 2025, received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour.

The programme equips secondary schools across the country with information and communication technology resources and provides internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research.

Since its inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefited from the programme.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, received the award during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida thanked the hosts, the International Telecommunications Union and WSIS, for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access across Nigeria, noting that the award would serve as further motivation for the Commission.

“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts; it is an encouragement to press forward.

It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage,” Dr. Maida said in a statement.

Four other Nigerian projects, the Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions under Capacity Building, the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment, and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning, were also celebrated for their nomination for the Champions Category of Projects at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony.

Although they were not among the top-voted entries, they were acknowledged for their significant merit and impact.

The WSIS Prizes competition recognises and promotes projects that effectively leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development.

The competition showcases how technology can serve as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving the SDGs.

Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse approaches to building an inclusive information society.

The World Summit on the Information Society is a United Nations initiative aimed at building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.

It provides a multi-stakeholder platform to address issues related to information and communication technologies and their role in achieving sustainable development.

The forum is an annual event that brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations.

It serves as a global platform for implementing the WSIS Action Lines, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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