Says 35m Nigerians Live With Special Needs
By Our Reporter
In a spirited effort to leverage digital literacy and cultivate a pool of tech talents towards transforming Nigeria into a globally recognised hub of technology and innovation, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa has advocated for increased inclusion of persons with special needs in the agency’s policies and programmes.
In a call which is aimed at implementing the Presidential priority area of Reforming the Economy for Sustained Inclusive Growth, the DG acknowledged the need for intentional design of the agency’s initiatives to address the needs of an estimated 35 million Nigerians with special needs.
Making this known during a strategic meeting with a delegation from the Inclusive Friends Association, a disability advocacy group, led by its Executive Director, Grace Jerry, at the corporate headquarters of the agency, Inuwa expressed appreciation for their determination in bringing the realities of the community to the agency’s attention.
“This 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.“If 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. But now, we must go further and make sure our programs reflect this inclusion,” he assured.
The DG 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.He further suggested exploring avenues to integrate special needs considerations into national initiatives such as the NYSC tech programs, women’s training cohorts, and upcoming national tech conferences. These platforms, he noted, provide valuable opportunities for networking, skills development, and enterprise support.
“For us, it’s beyond just training. The real goal is empowerment, how we can train people to use IT to expand their businesses and improve their lives?”, Inuwa averred, While reaffirming the agency’s commitment to strategic collaboration, he used the opportunity to invite disability organisations to serve as partners in shaping a digital economy that works for all Nigerians.
“Whatever you do, you need IT as a tool. So, let us make sure everyone, regardless of ability, is equipped to use it,” he concluded.
Earlier in her remark, Ms Jerry thanked the agency for receiving them and highlighted a significant divide within the disability community, particularly among women in northern Nigeria.She emphasised the urgency of ensuring that the government’s ambition of achieving 95% 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’s implementation.
While stressing the need for inclusive representation of their community in tailored programmes and collaborative policymaking, she said, “Digital literacy is fast becoming a foundational skill for employment and without deliberate inclusion, millions will be left behind.”
