Telecom
NITDA Unveils Digital Literacy Framework, Set to Create 1m Digital Jobs
In its ambitious target to achieve 95 percent digital literacy by 2030 and aligning with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create over one million jobs for youths in the digital economy sector, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially launched the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) for achieving a digitally literate citizenry.
The framework is aimed at providing a clear and consistent definition of digital literacy and to develop a national curriculum for digital literacy capacity building training to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or location, has the opportunity to learn the digital skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.
Kashifu Inuwa, director general of NITDA, while making his remark during the unveiling at the Digital Economy Complex, Mbora in Abuja, said the framework is going to set the stage for the review of curriculum from the kindergarten to universities.
He said under the objectives of the Framework, there is Universal Access, which means every Nigerian should have access to digital literacy and also, will help the country develop youth’s skills.
The second objective, according to the DG, is Skill Development, which he said will help in building digital offerings locally.
“Thirdly, Inclusive Participation means everybody should be carried along to achieve this, we are developing digital gender inclusion as well, to ensure that the Nigerian women are not being left behind and we also have the workforce readiness,” he added.
Inuwa also stressed the need for Nigeria to strategically position itself to fill 85 million talent deficits gaps with 8.5T USD unrealised annual value, which Korn Ferry projected that the world would experience by the year 2030.
“By the year 2030, the way we work will completely change” the DG said, while citing McKinsey’s research that said automation will displace between 480 million jobs; Microsoft’s which said that by 2025, there is going to be more than 190 million new IT jobs.
“If we position ourselves, we can capture this value and become the global talent factory. We have a more competitive advantage over India in terms of our young population, English-speaking people, our geographic location, and many more,” the DG said.
He stated, “to create jobs, you need to have the literacy and skill, you need the literacy for the consumers to consume the digital services, and you need skills for the developers to build the digital services. So, this framework is setting the tone and is setting the direction.”
He asserted that more work will be done, as NITDA has already done the IT Skills Gap Assessment and is currently working on the digital talent strategy that will help in building the talent pipeline; not only training people, but connecting them with jobs, either local jobs or global in other to be part of the global value chain.
Tunde Fasanya, DG SMEDAN Mr Olawale, during his goodwill message assured NITDA that the Agency will key in by including digital skills in its training curriculum to impact a lot of people. As he said the impact of digital skills on Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is enormous.
The highlight of the event was the official signing of the NDLF by the special guest of Honour and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr William Alo OON and the DG of NITDA.
In attendance were the DG/CEO National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr Aliyu Aziz; CEO, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji; representative from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministry of Education, MTN Foundation, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and many more.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint Inc. has finalised its acquisition of a 78% stake in Kenya’s Sumac Microfinance Bank, gaining a key deposit-taking licence for credit expansion in East Africa’s biggest economy.
The deal, marked by a Nairobi reception, bypasses the Central Bank of Kenya’s licence freeze, letting Moniepoint rival giants like Safaricom and Equity Group after a stalled Kopo Kopo bid.
It signals Africa’s fintech shift to licensed banking and mergers, equipping Moniepoint to roll out high-speed SME lending via Sumac’s 20-year-old infrastructure and branches.
The acquisition builds a cross-border merchant ecosystem beyond fees, integrating recent Orda buyout (cloud restaurant software) for “business-in-a-box” tools like inventory, payroll, and capital amid Kenya’s digital lending scrutiny.
Moniepoint, which hit $294 billion annualised transactions in 2025, eyes Kenya’s SMEs with Nigeria-honed retail expertise.
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