By Rukayya Sadauki
It is a brand-new year, and 2022 was all but a memory for those whose lives were transformed positively by the NITDA, the year will continue to be indelible for their lives.
Since he assumed office in 2019, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi set eyes on transforming the digital landscape of Nigeria to demonstrate that the internet is not only a platform for social engagement and whatnot but also massive job opportunities and skills for millions of Nigeria as the country increasingly becomes more integrated into the global economy and digital infrastructure.
As part of its effort to bolster digital literacy and skills among Nigerian youth, NITDA under Malam Kashifu was able to train 67 members of the Youth and Environmental Development Association (YEDA) on digital marketing.
Journalists were not left behind as the agency managed to train over 100 journalists in 2022 on digital journalism as more and more Nigerians rely on the internet for news updates which means the internet is here to stay in Nigeria.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullah was also instrumental in training over 300 women on digital skills in a bid to empower women to play active roles in digital content and job opportunities online which is in line with the policy priority of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. This giant stride recorded by Kashifu Inuwa would go down in history as one of the most realistic legacies to empower women and help them be financially independent in the long run.
210 hub managers had been mentored in 2022 alone. 300 participants of MDAs were trained in digital skills in 2022. Over 1500 junior secondary school teachers were trained in digital skills such as online schools, copy editing, online sales, and other necessary skills that are vital to economic development.
Moreover, the NITDA under Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi liaised with Kano State Government to train 53 senior executives on e-government and how to cut down the cost of governance in the state.
With 573 civil servants trained in management leadership; 6644 youths were trained in the Digital Skills transformation Programme across the country; and 1858 beneficiaries were 2022 trained in phone repairs in Nigeria.
NITDA under Kashifu Inuwa did not stop here as the agency keeps trailblazing and preparing the country for digital transition. Scholarships were offered to 652 students: 42 Ph.D. students and 610 MSCs students.
When it comes to empowerment, NITDA distributed 530 laptops and desktops to Nigerian students in 2022. 966 tools of different varieties were provided to trainees, and 485000 have been trained on NART to mention but a few.
As a result of compliance with the National Data Protection Regulation, over 75 domain names had been registered in 2022. 5764 people were trained on NDPR. 985 audits were filled, and the market value of the NDPR soared for the first time to 1.2 billion naira.
While these achievements did not take into account several other projects the agency under Kashifu Inuwa embarked on, Nigeria is well in a better position to become a hub of digital excellence over the next few years.
With a total population of over 200 million people, training Nigerians on the proper utilization of digital content would present massive opportunities for Nigerian youths who are in a desperate search for jobs to keep their bodies and souls together.
As a result of the training, over 7500 jobs were created in 2022 with multiplier effects. Making a dent in the unemployment rate using digital literacy and skills remains the top policy priority under Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi as he keeps exploring ways and opportunities for Nigerians.
As we enter 2023, our hope is NITDA would continue to demonstrate its willingness to accelerate our digital transition and pave the way for socioeconomic growth.
