The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have reaffirmed their partnership to accelerate digital literacy and technology adoption across Nigeria, with a renewed focus on empowering young people at the grassroots.
The renewed collaboration, officials said, is aimed at leveraging the nationwide spread of NYSC formations and the technical expertise of NITDA to bridge the country’s digital divide and improve employability among youths.
Speaking during a strategic engagement in Abuja, the Director-General of NITDA said the agency was committed to embedding practical digital skills within the NYSC framework, noting that corps members represent a critical workforce for driving Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.
According to him, the partnership will prioritise training in areas such as basic digital literacy, software skills, cybersecurity awareness, data analytics and emerging technologies, with programmes tailored to meet local needs across states.
“Our collaboration with NYSC gives us a unique opportunity to reach young Nigerians in every community. By equipping corps members with relevant digital competencies, we are not only enhancing their personal development but also positioning them as digital ambassadors in their host communities,” he said.
The NYSC Director-General, in his remarks, described the initiative as a timely intervention that aligns with the scheme’s mandate of national development and youth empowerment.
He said the scheme was ready to integrate NITDA-supported digital programmes into orientation camps, community development service (CDS) activities and post-service entrepreneurship support.
“Today’s corps members are tomorrow’s workforce and innovators. Strengthening their digital capacity will improve service delivery during the service year and create long-term economic value for the country,” the NYSC boss said.
He added that corps members trained under the initiative would be encouraged to transfer knowledge to students, artisans and small business owners in their host communities, thereby multiplying the impact of the programme.
Both agencies indicated that the partnership would also explore the use of online learning platforms, training-of-trainers models and public-private sector collaboration to scale the initiative sustainably.
The engagement further reviewed progress made under previous joint programmes and identified new areas of cooperation, including digital inclusion for underserved communities and support for tech-driven community projects initiated by corps members.
Observers say the strengthened NITDA–NYSC partnership underscores the Federal Government’s broader push to build a digitally skilled population capable of competing in the global economy while addressing youth unemployment at home.
