The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) have initiated moves to empower youths in the seven states of the North-West geopolitical zone of the country with digital skills for career opportunities in the rapidly evolving global digital space.
To this end, representatives of the three institutions held a tripartite meeting on August 6, at the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja, for the purposes of pooling their resources, facilities and technical expertise to achieve the goal.
Under the collaborative arrangement, the institutions will establish a jointly governed digital skills programme designed to improve the productivity, employability and economic prospects of young people in the region.
Specifically, the initiative will leverage existing facilities of the NCC, including its Digital Industrial Park (DIP) in Kano State, which is expected to be upgraded into a technology and creative hub to support digital innovation and skills development across Northern Nigeria.
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In addition, the programme will also draw on NITDA’s digital expertise and certification framework, providing participants with structured training and recognised certification to enhance their competitiveness in the technology-driven labour market.
Commenting on the partnership, the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, who confirmed that he hosted the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and the Managing Director/CEO of NWDC, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, at the meeting, said the collaboration was an important step towards building a more inclusive digital economy.
He disclosed that the three institutions explored opportunities to collaborate on capacity development initiatives that would expand digital literacy, equip young Nigerians with relevant digital skills and improve their productivity as part of broader efforts to ensure that more young Nigerians are able to participate meaningfully in the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
The Managing Director of the NWDC also confirmed the commission’s commitment to the partnership, describing the initiative as a strategic intervention aimed at delivering large-scale digital skills training to young people across the seven North-West states.
Ma’aji said the stakeholders had resolved to pool their resources, facilities and technical expertise behind a single, jointly governed programme.
He explained that the programme would utilise NCC facilities for training, while NITDA would provide digital expertise and certification, with the training structured as an intensive blend of physical instruction and online learning.
Ma’aji stressed that human capital development remained central to the NWDC’s mandate and that digital skills represented a major entry point for empowering young people and positioning them for opportunities in the modern economy.
Industry experts believe that beyond providing technical knowledge, the initiative is expected to create a stronger pipeline of digitally skilled young people capable of contributing to innovation, creative industries, technology-driven businesses and other emerging sectors.
Also, they strongly feel that with the three institutions bringing their infrastructure, expertise and institutional capacities together, the collaboration create opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire relevant skills and participate in the country’s digital transformation.
Photo Caption
L-R: Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida; and Managing Director/CEO of NWDC, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji; during the tripartite meeting held on North-West region youth digital skills acquisition at the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja
