From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Government has said efforts toward promoting digital literacy have started yielding results, indicating that the target for 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 is achievable.
The Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, made this known at the graduation ceremony of 50 children, including 10 almajiris at the Engausa Global Tech Hub in Kano State at the weekend.
The young children were subjected to extensive training for two weeks on innovative digital skills in Computer Networking, installation of CCTV cameras, Graphic Design, innovative creativity, among others.
Engausa Global Tech Hub is an incubation centre, currently working in collaboration with NITDA in Kano, where young boys are being subjected to extensive training at their early stage, using the Hausa language in building their skills on digital technology.
Inuwa said that the centre had in 2021 trained over 700 young boys who were selected from various rural communities in the state, adding that he was very happy that the centre has cooped young Almajiris into the system.
‘We have been collaborating with Engausa as the founder said. As a result of the intervention we have done for the centre last year, they have multiplied the number of people they trained. In 2021 they trained more than 700 people in this centre as a result of this collaboration,’ he said.
Kashifu added that the agency has been expanding the collaboration and we are going to do more with them this year to see how we can help the less privileged children to have access to digital technology.
‘One of our mandates is to implement the policy under the National Digital Economy Policy for digital Nigeria to a logical conclusion in achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030. You know the government cannot do it alone, we need to partner with centres like Engausa to achieve this. So, we are working with them to even expand this centre beyond Kano to other States and also to see how we can equip them more,’ the DG added.
Explaining further, Kashifu said ‘we are also looking at how we can assist the children who have participated in this programme to start their own businesses.’
Earlier, the founder of the centre, Mr Mustapha Ringim, said the centre was out to bridge the productivity gap among young people, especially those who cannot make it to a formal school. ‘I realised that there are a lot of things that I can offer to the community concerning breaking some barriers and bridging some gaps which are limiting the productivity of our youth, especially the downtrodden ones at the grassroots, the Almajiris, and school-drop-outs who cannot continue their studies due to lack of proficiency in the English Language, among other things,’ he said.
Ringim said he realized that Language should not be a barrier to achieving one’s dream, especially when it comes to the global world. He argued that there are a lot of developments in countries that are not using English as a medium of learning skills, like European countries where English is not well spoken but still technology, innovation and creativity is flourishing in those countries.
‘So, I realised that the English Language is not the only medium of learning skills, it is not the only medium of prosperity when it comes to knowledge and when it comes to practising what you know.
‘That is why I break the language barrier of English and domesticate the technology and the skills I have in me so that the people will easily tap from my knowledge through the use of Hausa language for better understanding of the subject matter,’ he explained.