The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and E-TECH Solutions have intensified efforts to promote digital literacy and workforce development through an International Certification of Digital Literacy (ICDL) Train-the-Trainer workshop.
The workshop, held at the NOUN headquarters in Abuja, brought together participants from institutions across the North-Central region to develop a pool of certified trainers capable of transferring digital competencies to staff and students in their respective institutions.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, trepresented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research (TIR), Prof. Christian Ofulue, welcomed participants and described the initiative as timely, noting that digital competence had become essential for education, employment, entrepreneurship and everyday life.
Ofulue commended TETFund for its continued support for NOUN, particularly in strengthening the university's digital infrastructure.
She disclosed that about 86 of the university's 130 study centres now have access to fibre-optic connectivity and solar-powered infrastructure, describing the development as part of NOUN's broader efforts to expand access to technology-enabled learning.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said Nigeria must move beyond investment in physical infrastructure and place greater emphasis on digital capacity development to prepare the country's youthful population for the rapidly changing global economy.
Echono urged participants to see themselves as “human infrastructure”, stressing that the success of the programme would depend not only on the knowledge acquired during the workshop but also on how effectively participants transferred and multiplied the skills within their institutions.
He also called on beneficiary institutions to take ownership of the initiative by ensuring that digital training, certification and measurable outcomes were integrated into their operations.
According to him, the programme would equip participants with globally relevant digital competencies capable of enhancing their effectiveness in an increasingly technology-driven world.
The TETFund chief further emphasised the need to translate the knowledge acquired into practical institutional impact, urging participants to “learn, transfer and multiply” the competencies gained from the training.
Also speaking, the Chairman of E-TECH Solutions, A. U. Mustapha (SAN), said increased investment in digital skills and technology-driven education was essential for Nigerians to remain competitive in the emerging global economy.
Mustapha, who described his participation in the workshop as a “homecoming,” recalled his previous service as a member of the NOUN Governing Council and his longstanding connection with the institution through its staff and alumni.
He said technology would continue to transform virtually every aspect of human life, making digital competence increasingly indispensable for individuals and institutions.
“Technology will change everything about our lives, and it is already happening,” he said, urging participants to overcome resistance to change and embrace technological advancement.
Mustapha noted that access to technology and information was creating opportunities for people in different parts of the world to compete more effectively, stressing that capacity building was critical to enabling Nigerians to participate in the global knowledge economy.
“This capacity building is about giving enablement to everybody to be able to compete today and tomorrow,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised the importance of sustained knowledge transfer, institutional ownership and the practical application of digital competencies in achieving the objectives of the initiative.
The workshop was expected to contribute to the development of a digitally skilled workforce while strengthening the capacity of participating institutions to prepare staff and students for the demands of an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
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