Rivers state people with disabilities: FG tasks citizens to adopt digital literacy

The Agency (NITDA) is responsible for building a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria.

Thousands of people living with disabilities, including deaf people, blind individuals, people with physical challenges, and folks with albinism are encouraged by the Federal Government to key into the government's drive to exploit creativity and innovation in Information Communications Technology (ICT) to nurture the economy.

Individuals will also experience personal productivity.

The ministry made the call through its agency, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), during the training of over 30 people with disabilities in Rivers State on digital skills and innovations.

Randomly chosen from the South-South geopolitical region, the trainees, numbering 30 undertook a five-day intensive digital training.

Participants were presented with laptop computers.

In his remarks at the end of the training in Port Harcourt, Rivers capital over the weekend, the Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the acting Director, Corporate Planning Strategy, NITDA, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, urged participants to consolidate the digital skills they had acquired and to make sure that they make a remarkable impact.

He said: “I know you have gone through five days of intensive practical exposure and digital skills and also empowered mentally and socially to go out there to create your digital world.

“There is no limit to what digital technology can do for you. Advances in information technology have brought vests amount of opportunities everywhere in the world today. It is smart to take advantage of these trends”, he said.

Admonishing further, “As leaders, part of our responsibility is to give you required digital skills and to ensure you to go out there and create your digital world so that you will create the required wealth and have your prosperity.”

In his speech, Austin Dimpka, one of the resource persons and Head, Technical & Operation, ICT Department, Rivers State, said: “As an ICT person, I have not got any other job since I finished from the university till now, and I know how far I have gone. “

If you can double the effort I am putting in, you will be gaining millions of dollars. The first steps to greatness are in the ICT industry; just key in, the oil will finish before you know it.”

Headed by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Ccie, who is the Director-General/CEO of NITDA, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is committed to implementing the National Digital economy policy for digital Nigeria. Its mandate is to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria.

Among the priorities of NITDA include Developmental regulation, Digital literacy and skills, Solid infrastructure, Service infrastructure, Digital services development and promotion, Software infrastructure, Digital society, and Emerging technologies & Indigenous content development and adoption, the agency’s website says.