The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has pledged its continual promotion of digital literacy and skills to Persons With Disabilities (PWD).
This is in a bid to ensure the implementation of equal opportunities and promote digital inclusion.
Director-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, made the pledge while receiving the executive secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD), James Lalu, and his team on a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Inuwa assured his visitors of NITDA’s continual inclusion of PWDs in all its initiatives, with a special training session specifically targeted at equipping them with tools, knowledge, and skills in digital transformation.
According to him, “Building a digitally inclusive community requires participation and support from all stakeholders, and partnership with the NCPWD would accelerate the campaign of promoting digital inclusion. We can work together to design special initiatives that would expand the impact of the two organisations.
“We can organise a challenge where people would come up with ideas to create a disability-friendly application.”
This, Inuwa added, would be an enabler that would assist in optimizing the best technology to meet identified objectives.
“Your commission can work towards building a special IT hub, while NITDA provides the technical know-how and necessary tools,” suggested Inuwa.
He informed the team that the agency had opened a link where PWDs in the South-South zone could register for a five-day empowerment programme in digital skills and entrepreneurship, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from January 24 to 28, 2022.
Responding, Lalu, having commended NITDA for its efforts in promoting digital inclusion among PWDs, noted that the PWD commission prays for extension of training periods, curriculum, the provision for experts, and training facilitators at the eLearning Training Centre, with the aim of developing a robust website.
The meeting agreed on setting up a team comprising staff of both organisations to work out modalities and areas of collaboration.