Maureen Okpe
A Non Governmental Organisation, (NGO), Inclusive Friends Association,(IFA), have decried the non inclusion and disregard of Persons With Disabilities,(PWD) in the draft and implementation plans of Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023, by the National Information Technology Development Agency,(NITDA).
IFA made the outcry in Abuja, on Tuesday at a media roundtable on digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities, with support from Rise Up and Public Health Institute.
The Organisation highlighted the need for the participation of PWD in the framework to ensure inclusion of the community.
Executive Director IFA, Grace Jerry, in her welcome address 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 on strategies to promote inclusion.
Jerry noted that, equitable access to digital tools and opportunities is 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.
“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 emphasize 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 IFA, Festus Okpeh while reeling out statistics on the partnership for the making of the NDLF and implementation of the framework by NITDA, noted that, of the 113 participating stakeholder, no organisation or persons with disabilities were included.
He disclosed that, 22 of the stakeholders are from government MDAs including the Ministry of Information, 15 development partners and technology companies, 2 technical working group member from Central Bank of Nigeria,(CBN), and Office of the Security Adviser and 74 implementing partners.
For her part, the Program Officer, IFA, Tracy Onabis while outlining the gaps in the NDLF document, noted that PWDs were not specifically mentioned, She described as relative the term 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.”
She further stressed the need for digital education in schools at every level to acquire requisite skills to create a workforce readiness before the implementation.
Also, MEAL Manager YIAGA Africa emphasized the need for stakeholders to consciously think of means to provide facilities that enable digital literacy else, inclusive implementation may not be achieved.