NITDA to train 50 million Nigerians in IT through Digital Champions
Picture this: Nigeria where every trader in Kano, every student in Enugu, and every entrepreneur in Abuja isn’t just using tech—they’re actually in control of it. That’s not just some far-off dream. It’s happening right now. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) just announced at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE 2025) that they’re rolling out digital champions in all 36 states and the FCT. It’s a full-on mission to hit 70% digital literacy across the country and train 50 million Nigerians by 2027.
So, what exactly are digital champions? Imagine regular people—teachers, community leaders, civil servants, innovators—trained to light up their communities with digital skills. NITDA’s DG, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, spelled it out at DNICE on November 13, 2025. Every state and the FCT will get 460 digital champions each year, and every one of them will train 600 people annually on things like coding, data basics, AI, and cybersecurity. Do the math: That’s more than 10 million Nigerians learning digital skills every year, hitting over 30 million in just three years. The results ripple out—think rural markets going cashless, students building apps that actually solve problems right where they live.
Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) program
This all fits into NITDA’s big Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) program. That kicked off in September 2025 with training for 3,600 teachers from every corner of the country. The idea is simple: make tech something everyone can use, not just a lucky few. They’re mixing up the education system, adding hands-on training, and building community tech hubs so anyone can jump in.
Why now? Honestly, Nigeria can’t sit back while AI and e-commerce flip the global economy. We’ve got Africa’s biggest population, but millions are still offline—especially in the informal sector, government, and schools. NITDA’s taking direct aim: 15 million students, 5 million workers, and the rest through community outreach. The goal is pretty clear: turn tech into a tool that creates jobs, diversifies the economy, and gives Nigeria a real seat at the global table.
Abdullahi put it simply: “The digital economy is Nigeria’s second chance at global relevance.” This push lines up with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. They’re investing in digital infrastructure the same way we build roads and railways. And it’s already working—programs like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) brought in 30,000 fellows in 2023. The iHatch initiative trained 37 hub managers from every state in April 2025 to help startups grow. Now, with digital champions at the front, they’re taking that momentum everywhere.
How’s it going to work? It starts with tough selection and real training—bootcamps on digital tools, mentorship, actual projects. These champions will head out to schools, markets, government offices, even remote villages. They’ll use mobile apps and community hubs to run sessions. NITDA’s teaming up with state governments, big names like Google and Microsoft, and international partners like JICA to make it all run smoothly.
By 2027, here’s what you’ll see:
Kids coding in classrooms. Teachers running lessons online.
Traders in the informal sector selling on e-commerce platforms. Civil servants making government services faster and simpler.
Millions of new tech jobs—app developers, data analysts, you name it.
Of course, there are challenges—rural areas need better connectivity and steady power. But NITDA’s not backing down. They’re rolling out solar-powered hubs and satellite links to close those gaps.
