The Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) has warned that over 35 million Nigerians with disabilities risk being left behind in the country’s digital transformation agenda unless the National Digital Literacy Framework is reviewed to ensure inclusion.
The disability rights organisation made this call during an advocacy visit to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, highlighting gaps in the current framework that exclude persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls.
Grace Jerry, IFA Executive Director, stressed that without strategic disability inclusion, the federal government’s ambitious target of achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030 would remain incomplete.
Jerry stated that while digital literacy is now a crucial determinant for employment, education, and social participation, persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls, face significant barriers to access the skills.
According to IFA, a consultative forum with key disability groups revealed that the National Digital Literacy Framework 2023 does not specifically address disability issues or acknowledge persons with disabilities as a unique demographic requiring targeted interventions.
Jerry noted that the framework lacks inclusive implementation and monitoring mechanisms involving disability stakeholders, as well as specific budgeting provisions tailored to the digital learning needs of persons with disabilities.
“Our findings reveal that the NDLF does not specifically address disability. It lacks acknowledgement of persons with disabilities, specifically women and girls, as a unique demography,” she stated.
To address these gaps, IFA recommended a comprehensive disability-inclusive review of the framework, with specific mention of women and girls with disabilities as a priority group for digital training.
The organisation also advocated for collaborative implementation with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, integration of accessible digital training formats and assistive technologies, and inclusion of disability-focused budget lines in digital development plans.
Festus Okpeh, IFA’s Research and Legal Officer, highlighted the absence of any disability body, including the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, in the framework’s monitoring and evaluation group, which involved over 110 partners globally.
“Without specifically giving attention to the disability demographics, there is that tendency to just kind of overlook their needs, despite broad statements about inclusive participation and universal digital literacy for all persons,” Okpeh said.
He called for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in drafting any future digital literacy bill to prevent repetition of existing exclusions, noting opportunities for collaboration between NITDA and the Disability Commission, given their shared functions.
Responding to the advocacy, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa acknowledged the significance of the concerns raised and admitted that the 35 million Nigerians with special needs were not adequately considered in the initial framework.
“There is no way we can achieve 95 percent when we exclude 35 million Nigerians. The framework aims for universal inclusivity, but the lack of specific mention meant particular needs were not addressed,” Inuwa conceded.
The NITDA chief committed to immediate action to close the identified gaps, agreeing to include persons with disabilities in the framework review committee and explore ways to design specific training programs for them.
“We need to involve them in designing our programme, so that we can design a programme that will meet their needs,” Inuwa said.
He nominated Dr. Tambuwal as the contact person for digital training and Dr. Aristotle for partnership and collaboration from NITDA’s side, while requesting IFA to also nominate a representative.
Stephen Idoko, IFA’s Program Manager, expressed gratitude for NITDA’s commitment and assured that the organisation’s recommendations resulted from extensive consultations that captured the diverse needs of the disability community.