The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says it is expanding digital access across Nigeria with plans to establish digital learning centres in all 774 local government areas, as part of sustained efforts to bridge the country’s digital divide.

The proposed centres are designed to deliver hands-on digital skills training, supported by functional infrastructure, and are being positioned as a core pillar of NITDA’s national digital inclusion strategy.

The commitment was reiterated at the 21st Memorial Lecture of Professor Gabriel Olalere Ajayi and the official launch of the Professor Gabriel Olalere Ajayi Foundation held on Saturday in Lagos. Ajayi was NITDA’s pioneer Director-General, and widely regarded as one of the architects of Nigeria’s digital institutional framework.

“What NITDA intends to do in the area of ensuring the full utilisation and implementation of the digital learning centres is to create digital spaces all over the country, and we intend to go to all the 774 local governments,” Olawumi says.

NITDA: Digital centres as backbone of inclusion strategy 

Speaking in an interview with Technology Times after his keynote address, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, represented by Oladejo Olawumi, Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions at the agency, says the digital learning centres will be rolled out nationwide, covering every local government area.

“What NITDA intends to do in the area of ensuring the full utilisation and implementation of the digital learning centres is to create digital spaces all over the country, and we intend to go to all the 774 local governments,” Olawumi says.

According to him, the centres are being designed to address gaps in digital access and gender inclusion by taking infrastructure and skills training directly into communities, rather than concentrating opportunities in urban centres.

Collaboration with states, focus on sustainability 

To ensure coordination and long-term sustainability across regions with diverse needs, NITDA is working closely with state governments and local structures. The agency has begun setting up Technical Working Groups (TWGs) in several states to align sub-national priorities with national digital objectives.

“What we have done so far is to establish Technical Working Groups in some states already, where we work together to see how some of our initiatives and training programmes can be incorporated into these centres,” Olawumi explains.

He adds that the centres will serve a broad range of users, including students, schools and informal sector workers, guided by the National Digital Literacy Framework. The framework underpins initiatives such as the Digital Literacy for All programme, which targets groups including market women and other informal economy participants.

Community-led approach 

Addressing concerns about continuity beyond political administrations, Olawumi says sustainability has been built into the strategy through local capacity development and community-specific design.

“So we don’t expect you to just be in the North-Central, for example, and try to solve a problem that is more germane in the South-East,” he says. “We are tailoring all these centres to ensure that they solve particular problems. If they are solving a problem, the community will rally around them and support them.”

“Professor Ajayi saw the future and what digital technology could do for Nigeria,” Olatunji says. “It was the actions that he took that led to NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Galaxy Backbone and so much of the legacy we are benefiting from today.”

Ajayi’s legacy and Nigeria’s digital institutions 

The event also reflected on the enduring legacy of Professor Ajayi, whose action-oriented vision laid the foundation for several of Nigeria’s digital institutions, including NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Galaxy Backbone.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, underscores Ajayi’s foresight, noting that his vision continues to shape Nigeria’s digital governance landscape.

“Professor Ajayi saw the future and what digital technology could do for Nigeria,” Olatunji says. “It was the actions that he took that led to NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Galaxy Backbone and so much of the legacy we are benefiting from today.”

Olatunji urges stakeholders to honour that legacy by pairing vision with practical commitment to Nigeria’s digital development.

“So let us follow his footsteps and believe in Nigeria in a very practical manner so that the country can move even further into the digital age,” he adds.

Sola Bickersteth, Chairman of the Organising Committee, also describes Ajayi as a visionary who understood the transformative power of technology and translated ideas into concrete institutional outcomes.

“His impact went beyond ideas to action,” Bickersteth says, pointing to the enduring digital institutions that continue to shape Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.