ITU Director Visits NITDA, Strengthens Digital Cooperation
The Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, has paid a courtesy visit to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, reinforcing growing cooperation on digital development initiatives.
Dr. Zavazava was accompanied by the ITU Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh, and other members of the ITU delegation. They were received on behalf of the Director General of NITDA by the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Warowei Dimie, alongside other senior officials of the Agency.
The visit provided an opportunity for strategic engagement on key digital development challenges facing Nigeria, Africa, and other developing regions, with discussions centred on inclusive and sustainable growth of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Speaking on behalf of the NITDA Director General, Dr. Dimie reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with ITU, describing the organisation’s global expertise as critical to adapting proven solutions and best practices to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
He noted that digital skills and capacity building were major focus areas, as Nigeria works towards achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by next year. According to him, the country has recorded encouraging progress through partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders.
Participants highlighted the adoption of Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework as a significant milestone, providing a structured and inclusive approach to skills development across different segments of society. Attention was also drawn to persistent connectivity gaps in rural and underserved communities, with proposals including grassroots digital training programmes and the deployment of National Youth Service Corps members as digital literacy ambassadors.
In his remarks, Dr. Zavazava outlined the mandate of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau to bridge the digital divide, promote inclusive ICT development, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and support member states in building resilient digital infrastructure. He said these priorities align closely with Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.
Dr. Zavazava also highlighted ongoing collaboration between ITU and Nigeria in areas such as digital skills development, broadband infrastructure mapping, and cybersecurity. He disclosed that Nigeria is among 11 sub-Saharan African countries benefiting from a €15 million ITU–European Commission project on broadband infrastructure mapping and modelling.
He further noted Nigeria’s participation in global cybersecurity drills organised by ITU in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, which attracted over 136 countries in the most recent edition.
The courtesy visit underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between international development institutions and national agencies, reaffirming the shared commitment of ITU and NITDA to leveraging ICTs for sustainable development, innovation, and inclusive socio-economic growth in Nigeria.
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