Cisco, NITDA Partner to Bridge Digital Skills Gap in Nigeria

Cisco and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Nigeria have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the aim to support Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and contribute towards digital skills training and development.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to THISDAY, yesterday.

As part of the collaboration, Cisco’s Incubation and Innovation Centre in Lagos called Cisco EDGE, would be used to stimulate innovation and support digitisation initiatives, providing a space where local partners could showcase technologies and host client events.

Within the Cisco EDGE program, the Innovate pillar provides resources and tools to local innovators and entrepreneurs to help them develop more secure, intelligent, and connected solutions. The second pillar, called Cisco EDGE Educate, was aimed at transforming the lives of learners, educators, and communities through technology and by offering education and career opportunities.

The MoU forms part of the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program where Cisco and NITDA plan to work together to promote and further expand Cisco Networking Academy in Nigeria.

The CDA was founded in 2015 and has since evolved into programs in 50 countries, with over 1500 active or completed projects—encompassing over two-thirds of the world’s population and 75 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Vice President for Middle East & Africa at Cisco, Reem Asaad, was quoted to have said: “Cisco has a responsibility to both its customers and the greater global community to help solve challenges that impact our daily lives.

“We accomplish this by providing intelligent and innovative solutions, offering training and education opportunities, empowering communities through digital transformation, and enabling them to participate in the global digital economy.

“We are looking forward to working with NITDA to help accelerate digitisation in Nigeria.”

For her part, NITDA’s Acting Director, Digital Literacy and Capacity Development Department, Dr. Amina Sambo said: “As the agency responsible for regulating and developing Nigeria’s use of information technology, NITDA looks forward to the impact of this engagement.

“By collaborating with industry leaders like Cisco, we can empower and equip Nigerians with the knowledge and resources they need to participate in the national and global digital economies.”

Established in 1997, Cisco’s Networking Academy offers high-quality IT training and hands-on learning opportunities in 190 countries.

Over 17.5 million learners worldwide have participated in Cisco Networking Academy courses, and in Nigeria, over 411,000 students have been enrolled, 44 per cent of whom are women.

“Cisco Networking Academy is a powerful force for change. This initiative will unlock equitable opportunities for education and career connections to diverse communities.

“The focus on networking and cybersecurity will place learners at the forefront of innovation, equipping them with in-demand skills to develop ideas that will power the future,” Asaad added.

The MoU was acknowledged by Asaad, DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa and Sambo, during the Cisco Networking Academy EMEA Partner Conference in Paris, in the presence of industry stakeholders and senior officials from Cisco and NITDA.