December 4, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on governments in Nigeria’s Southwest region to prioritise digital literacy as a core component of development, warning that the region risks losing its long-standing advantage as the country’s innovation centre if digital skills are not mainstreamed.
This position was presented on Wednesday at the Southwest Secretaries to State Governments (SSGs) Forum by Mr. Ajayi Babajide Ayodimeji, Director of Zonal Office Coordination at NITDA, who represented the agency’s Director-General.
Ayodimeji said digital competence has become an essential requirement for citizens and institutions operating in the modern economy.
According to him, “Digital literacy is no longer a luxury; it is the passport to participate in the 21st-century economy. If the Southwest must retain its place as Nigeria’s innovation powerhouse, digital skills must become as fundamental as reading and writing.”
He noted that global economic activities are increasingly shaped by emerging technologies, innovation ecosystems and data-driven systems, and stressed that regions that fail to build strong digital foundations will face widening developmental gaps.
The forum, which brought together Secretaries to the State Governments from across the Southwest, focused on strengthening governance structures, improving inter-state collaboration, and promoting technology-enabled solutions to drive economic and social development.
Participants also discussed opportunities for harmonising digital policies across the region, enhancing institutional capacity, and expanding digital training initiatives to youths, public servants and local communities.
