Danmale Abdulmumin, Abuja
The Nigeria Information Technology and Development (NITDA) National Communication Commission (NCC) Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy (FMCDE) felicitates with CISCO On 40th anniversary and 1 million milestone, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The DG NITDA Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi ably represented by Oladejo Olawumi in his opening addressed, welcome stakeholder, perticant and digital transformation decisions maker to the 40th birthday and 1 million digital milestone transformation and Learners in Nigeria Theme: Repositioning2 Nigeria as a Global Leader in Digital Skills: Bridging the Skills-to-Jobs at this landmark celebration of one million Cisco Networking Academy learners in Nigeria and 40th anniversary.
DG Abdullahi extends warm congratulations to Cisco Networking Academy, its leadership, instructors, partner institutions, implementation partners and, above all, the one million Nigerians whose commitment to learning has made this historic achievement possible.This is more than a Cisco milestone—it is a national milestone. It demonstrates what is possible when government, industry, academia and development partners work together with a shared vision of empowering people through digital skills.
According to DG Abdullahi “global economy is undergoing one of the most profound transformations in modern history, Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, robotics, automation and data are redefining industries, creating new opportunities and changing the nature of work itself, reflect the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, technological transformation is expected to create 170 million new jobs globally by 2030, even as 92 million jobs are displaced, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs, same time, employers estimate that 39% of today’s workforce skills will change by 2030, while 63% of employers intend to prioritise reskilling and upskilling over the next five years.
DG Abdullahi said “the message is clear: countries that invest in digital skills today will shape the global economy tomorrow.This is why digital skills are no longer simply an education issue. They are an economic development issue, a competitiveness issue, a productivity issue and ultimately a national development imperative.
The World Economic Forum further reports that 60% of global employers identify broadening digital access as the single most transformative trend shaping business by 2030. Meanwhile, the World Bank notes that vacancies requiring Generative AI skills have increased ninefold in just three years, highlighting the unprecedented demand for advanced digital competencies.For Nigeria, these global trends present an extraordinary opportunity.Our country possesses one of the world’s youngest and largest populations. However, population alone does not create prosperity, Prosperity comes when citizens possess the skills to innovate, compete and create value,
The World Economic Forum projects that Network and Cybersecurity skills will be the fastest-growing skills in demand in Nigeria by 2030, with 87% of employers expecting increased demand—well above the global average of 70%. Furthermore, the World Bank estimates that by 2030 Nigeria will require approximately 28 million digitally skilled workers, with 45% of all jobs requiring digital skills across the economy.These realities underpin NITDA’s digital transformation agenda, at NITDA,
According to Abdullahi “our mandate extends beyond delivering training programmes, we are committed to building an inclusive digital economy where every Nigerian can participate meaningfully in the digital age”. He said.
Through the National Digital Literacy Framework and the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) to Initiative, we have set an ambitious national target of achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030, this is not merely about teaching Nigerians how to use technology—it is about empowering them to create technology, build businesses, solve societal challenges and compete globally.Our partnership with Cisco has become a critical pillar in achieving this vision.Together, we have developed a national digital literacy course aligned with both the National Digital Literacy Framework and the European Digital Competence Framework, and integration of programmes into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.The impact of this collaboration is already visible.At Nasarawa State University, Keffi, more than 15,000 student enrolments have been recorded across two semesters of digital literacy courses.At Jigawa State Polytechnic, 185 lecturers have been trained to deliver digital literacy programmes.At the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Rivers State, instructors have also been trained to prepare for programme delivery.
To Abdullahi the mandates is Beyond tertiary education, his collaboration has strengthened the education workforce itself.More than 9,400 teachers have been trained, ensuring that digital skills continue to cascade throughout Nigeria’s education system.Within the Federal Public Service, through the DL4ALL Workforce Programme implemented in partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, over 54,000 federal civil servants have already been enrolled for digital literacy training.Our commitment extends to communities across Nigeria.
NITDA has already trained over 712,000 Nigerians through the DL4ALL Informal Sector Programme.
We have recruited 16,432 NYSC Digital Literacy Champions, who are taking digital skills to communities across the country, while Cisco has supported these champions with professional training in networking, cybersecurity and IT Essentials.In addition, across cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science, networking, entrepreneurship, Internet of Things and digital transformation programmes, the NITDA–Cisco partnership has recorded over 215,000 enrolments within just two year, these figures are important, but the real success lies beyond the numbers.Every learner represents a future software engineer, cybersecurity professional, AI developer, entrepreneur, teacher or innovator.
Every certification represents another Nigerian equipped to compete in the global digital economy.As we celebrate one million learners today, our focus must now shift from skills acquisition to economic outcomes.Success should not simply be measured by the number of people trained, should be measured by the number of jobs created, businesses established, innovations developed and lives transformed.This means strengthening the pathway from learning to certification, from certification to internships, from internships to employment, and from employment to entrepreneurship. It also means ensuring closer collaboration between government, academia, industry and development partners to align training with the evolving needs of employers.
Looking ahead, the next phase of the NITDA–Cisco partnership should deepen investment in Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data science, software engineering and industry-recognised professional certifications.
should also expand opportunities for women, persons with disabilities, underserved communities and young innovators while strengthening industry-academia collaboration and connecting learners directly to employment opportunities.Ladies and Gentlemen,One million learners is an extraordinary achievement, but it is not our destination—it is our foundation.Together, we have the opportunity to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading digital talent hub, a destination for technology investment and a trusted source of globally competitive digital professionals.
NITDA remains committed to working with Cisco and all our partners to build a future where every Nigerian has the opportunity to thrive in the digital economy and where Nigeria is recognised not only as a consumer of technology, but as a producer of innovation and talent for the world.Once again, congratulations to Cisco Networking Academy on this remarkable milestone, and thank you for your unwavering partnership in shaping Nigeria’s digital future.
Brian Pitten Cisco vice president in his remark encouraged since capabilities come with responsibly there is need to empower individual for an inclusive future in Nigeria and global innovative on technological driven ecosystem, this will promote resilience, focus of human thinking for future of proofed model to undertake, commits and Empowering individual to partake in the economy drive promoting talents, stronger the relationship with people, Government officials, opportunity rifts for society benefits.
Abdelaziz Saidu Country General manager nigeria and Ghana, reflects the achievement of CISCO operations and extension at 40th which he discribed as shift for digital transformation in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
