*Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, advocates greater inclusion of estimated 35 million Nigerians with special needs in the agency鈥檚 policies and programmes

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has advocated increased inclusion of persons with special needs in the agency鈥檚 policies and programmes in Nigeria.

绿帽献妻 reports the NITDA鈥檚 move is part of committed efforts at leveraging digital literacy, and cultivating a pool of tech talents towards transforming the West African country into a globally recognised hub of technology and innovation.

The Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency disclosed Inuwa, in a call during a meeting in Abuja, FCT, aimed at implementing the Presidential priority area of Reforming the Economy for Sustained Inclusive Growth, really acknowledged the need for intentional design of the agency鈥檚 initiatives to address the needs of an estimated 35 million Nigerians with special needs.

The agency noted the Director-General at the strategic meeting with a delegation from the Inclusive Friends Association, a disability advocacy group, led by its Executive Director, Ms. Grace Jerry, expressed appreciation for their determination in bringing the realities of the community to the agency鈥檚 attention.

Inuwa stated: 鈥淭his brought to my attention the need to be more intentional in the way we design our programs because there is no way we can achieve 95% digital inclusion if we exclude 35 million Nigerians.

While noting that the agency has always been conducting targeted training for people with special needs in various parts of the country in the past, Inuwa pledged a renewed commitment to expanding the initiatives to all parts of the country.鈥�

He further said: 鈥淚f you look at our office, we have facilities to cater for that and in our recruitment also, we make sure we take care of that.

鈥淏ut now, we must go further and make sure our programs reflect this inclusion,鈥� he assured.

The NITDA Chief Executive as well proposed that representatives from the disability community be formally included in committees that develop national ICT standards, training curricula, and policy frameworks.

He emphasised that their presence would not only represent their interests but strengthen implementation by pushing beyond government bureaucracy.

Inuwa, therefore, suggested exploring avenues to integrate special needs considerations into national initiatives, such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) tech programmes, women鈥檚 training cohorts, and upcoming national tech conferences.

These platforms, he noted, provide valuable opportunities for networking, skills development, and enterprise support.

Inuwa stated: 鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 beyond just training. The real goal is empowerment, how we can train people to use IT to expand their businesses and improve their lives?鈥�

Restating NITDA鈥檚 commitment to strategic collaboration, the Director-General he took the opportunity to invite disability organisations to serve as partners in shaping a digital economy that works for all Nigerians.

Inuwa said: 鈥淲hatever you do, you need IT as a tool. So, let us make sure everyone, regardless of ability, is equipped to use it.鈥�

Earlier in her remark, Ms Jerry thanked the Nigerian IT sector regulatory agency for receiving them.

She also highlighted a significant divide within the disability community, particularly among women in northern Nigeria.

The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association equally emphasised the urgency of ensuring that the government鈥檚 ambition of achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030 is truly inclusive by ensuring adequate representation of people living with special needs in ongoing reviews and monitoring of the framework鈥檚 implementation.

She further emphasised the need for inclusive representation of their community in tailored programmes and collaborative policymaking.

鈥淒igital literacy is fast becoming a foundational skill for employment and without deliberate inclusion, millions will be left behind,鈥� Ms. Jerry asserted.

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