From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Government has said efforts toward promoting digital literacy have started yielding results, indicating that the target for 95 percent 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 on 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 entensive training at their early stage, using 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 coopted young Almajiris into the system.
“We have been collaborating with Engausa like 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 have 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 percent 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,” DG added.