The Federal Government plans to raise an army of skilled workforce by looking towards technology to drive its Digital Nigeria initiative.
To drive forward this ambition, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy Tuesday launched the Digital Nigeria Portal and Mobile App to deliver the required skills for Digital Nigeria.
The Ministry wants Nigerians to enroll on either of the two portals, https://digitalnigeria.gov.ng or https://academy.nitda.gov.ng/ where they will be gain relevant skills from the comfort of their homes.
“Across the globe, there is a growing focus on the need for developing skills, rather than merely acquiring degrees. To this end, Nigerians are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by enrolling today”, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, Spokesperson to the Communications & Digital Economy Minister says.
“This move is in furtherance of the Digital Nigeria Programme which was kicked off by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the 19th of March, 2020 as part of the Federal Government’s key initiatives aimed at empowering innovators and entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to thrive in our emerging digital economy”, she adds.
The Digital Nigeria programme is a key component of the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria championed by the Minister, according to the spokesperson.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy says it is delivering this key mandate, is in partnership with global institutions including the African Development Bank (AFDB), Microsoft, to enable Nigerians acquire cutting edge digital skills within the comfort of their homes.
“We are championing a paradigm shift that lays emphasis on skills, in preference to merely having degrees without skills. Degrees are only meant to validate skills. This is a growing trend across the globe. The digital literacy and skills pillar recognises the fact that citizens are the greatest assets in any economy, including the digital economy. It will support the development of a large pool of digitally literate and digitally skilled citizens”, Dr Isa Pantami, Communications & Digital Economy says.
According to the Ministry, “the “Digital Nigeria” mobile app is available on PlayStore, enabling Nigerians to enroll in ICT courses within the comfort of their homes. Much of the content was provided through AfDB’s partnership with Microsoft. Students can download certificates after they complete the courses. The portal also allows us to include additional courses from time to time.”