IFA Demands PWDs’ Representation In National Digital Literacy Framework 

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), has decried the non-inclusion and disregard of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the draft and implementation plans of Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023, prepared by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), calling for its immediate amendment.

IFA made demand in Abuja on Tuesday at a media roundtable on digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities, with support from RiseUp and Public Health Institute.

The NGO highlighted the need for the participation of PWDs in the framework to ensure the inclusion of the community.

Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, in her welcome address, which was read by the RiseUp Coordinator, Steven Idoko, stated the need for government to make concerted efforts in delving deeper into the barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities in accessing digital literacy and collaborate with relevant stakeholders on strategies to promote inclusion.

She noted that equitable access to digital tools and opportunities was no longer optional but essential, adding, “we come together to address a pressing issue, the urgent need to include women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023.

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“Our ultimate aim is to secure the adoption of an addendum to the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023, which explicitly incorporates digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities, by the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) by August 2025.

“We are working to build a coalition of stakeholders, including policymakers, civil society organizations, and the media, to drive awareness and advocacy. We will use evidence-based insights, stories, and media coverage to emphasise the importance of this inclusion.

“A key step in our advocacy efforts is to ensure that women and girls with disabilities are not left behind in Nigeria’s digital transformation.”

The Lead Researcher at IFA, Festus Okpeh, while reeling out statistics on the engagement in the framework and implementation plan by NITDA, noted that of the 114 participating stakeholders, no organisation or persons with disabilities were included.

He disclosed that, 22 of the stakeholders were from government MDAs, 16 development partners and technology companies, two technical working group members from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and 74 implementing partners.

For her part, the Program Officer of IFA, Tracy Onabis, stressed the need for digital education in schools from every level to acquire requisite skills to create workforce readiness.

Mrs Onabis, while outlining the gaps in the framework, noted that PWDs were not specifically mentioned. She described as relative the terms ‘underserved’ and ‘vulnerable group’ used in the framework.

According to her, “this will be a blatant disregard of the disability community if the framework is implemented without the consultation and input of persons with disability.”

Also, MEAL Manager at YIAGA Africa emphasised the need for stakeholders to consciously think of means to provide facilities that enable digital literacy otherwise inclusive implementation may not be achieved.