A coalition of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) has called on the Nigerian government to make digital literacy programs more inclusive for women and girls with disabilities.
The call was made in a communique issued by twelve organisations – led by the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA)- at the end of a consultative forum in Abuja.
The groups highlighted that the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), launched in 2023 to achieve 95% digital literacy in Nigeria by 2030, currently lacks specific provisions for persons with disabilities.
According to a 2023 regional study cited at the forum, 61% of women and girls with disabilities in Northern Nigeria cannot perform basic computer operations like powering a device on or off.
The situation is particularly challenging in northern Nigeria, where “61 percent of fathers discourage their daughters’ use of the internet, while 55 percent of men refuse their wives to use the internet”.
“Digital competence, not just English language skills, is now the primary indicator of literacy and job readiness,” the forum emphasized, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive digital education,” they added.
The coalition further lamented that due to peculiar barriers, persons with disabilities generally lag behind their counterparts without disabilities when it comes to education and training, and women with disabilities even worse-off.
“In terms of access to information and communication technology, persons with disabilities either lack access to basic digital technology or have less access than their counterparts without disabilities,” the coalition bemoaned.
The groups stated that after a robust and comprehensive analysis, they found that the National Digital Framework 2023 is not disability-inclusive as it merely glosses over the peculiar needs of persons with disabilities.
They recommended that NITDA should work collaboratively with disability stakeholders, including the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to review the NDLF to incorporate digital literacy for persons with disabilities, including women and girls, therein.
Specifically, the coalition identified salient disability-inclusion gaps and called for an addendum to make the NDLF more disability inclusive.
NCPWD and other disability rights groups identified major gaps in the current framework, including: “No specific mention of “disability” or “persons with disabilities” (including women and girls) in the National Digital Framework; lack of consultation and partnership with the disability community in the making of the NDLF.
“No specific or direct involvement of the disability community in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the NDLF; inadequate disability inclusion in the strategic initiatives of the implementation plan; and lack of disability-inclusive budgeting for digital literacy education.”.
The organizations recommended several changes to make the framework more inclusive, such as: “Making the framework available in accessible formats like audio and Braille; including disability organizations in the implementation process; creating specific budget lines for disability-inclusive digital programs; and developing targeted digital literacy programs for women and girls with disabilities”
Nigeria has approximately 35 million persons living with disabilities, representing 16% of the total population. The forum noted that up to 90% of these individuals live in poverty, with women and girls facing even greater challenges in accessing digital resources.
The groups, therefore, calls on all stakeholders, including NITDA and government at all levels, to mainstream persons with disabilities and leave no one behind in the quest towards a digital Nigeria.
“We believe that the addendum arising from the recommendations in this communique will improve the NDLF, making it more inclusive to enhance digital literacy for persons with disabilities, including women and girls,” they said.
The communique was signed by disability rights organizations including the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Inclusive Friends Association, Cedar Seed Foundation.
Others are: Advocacy for Women and Girls with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), Sauri Growth Initiative for Women and Youth with Disabilities, Neil Life Foundation for Persons with Disabilities, Disability Advancement Initiative, Deaf Women Association Initiative (DWAI), Abuja Association of the Deaf, Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), Women and Girls with Albinism Network (WGAN), and the Albinism Aid Centre.