Nigeria's digital training progress

Nigeria has recorded 2.77 million digital training certifications as of October 20, according to data from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). This number is 5.54 percent of the country's stated goal of 50 million certifications by 2027.

Private companies lead in training

Of the 252 organizations that submitted data to NITDA’s new national dashboard, 151 are private companies. Cisco leads with about 1.07 million reported achievements, followed by NITDA itself with nearly 960,000 and Meta with about 334,000.

Dashboard aims to improve coordination

The dashboard launched by NITDA is designed to centralize information about digital training, including geographic coverage and the skills taught. It aims to help identify underserved areas and better coordinate training initiatives across the country.

Measuring actual skills is a challenge

Despite the dashboard's data, measuring the actual skills acquired by participants remains a challenge. As of October 15, about 1.28 million people were recorded as having verified digital literacy, a figure distinct from the 2.77 million training achievements reported later.

Progress needs better measurement

NITDA’s director general, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, noted that the number of reported beneficiaries alone is not enough to assess progress. It is also important to determine whether participants can apply their knowledge in real-world situations.

Participation remains uneven

Women make up 32.9 percent of declared beneficiaries, while people with disabilities and rural populations are among those needing more access to training. NITDA aims to increase the digital literacy rate to 70 percent by 2027 and 95 percent by 2030, depending on both expanding training and improving measurement of actual skill acquisition.