Enugu Bolsters Digital Economy with Digital Skills Nigeria Programme

.Partners FG, Microsoft, and Tech4Dev

Enugu State Government has put in place a robust digital proficiency programme to enhance its workforce.

The state is currently implementing the Digital Skills Nigeria (DSN) programme for civil servants to foster digital literacy within the civil service, driving improved efficiency and productivity in meeting the state’s developmental targets.

This programme is a collaboration between the Enugu State Government, Microsoft, the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Tech4Dev.

Speaking on the training, Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, said, “The modernisation of the public service is key to our administration. We are embarking on training and retraining of public and civil servants to optimise productivity and imbibe the right work culture necessary for the achievements we plan for Enugu State.”

The Special Adviser on Digital Economy and MSMEs and Director General, Enugu SME Centre, Mr. Arinze Chilo-Offiah, also emphasised the importance of the programme in driving Enugu State’s digital transformation and economic growth.

The initial training, conducted over a two-week period for the first batch, took place at two key newly created Digital-Skill Enhancement Zones (D-SEZ) located at Enugu State College of Education (Technical) and the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu.

The comprehensive curriculum covered five key modules: Working with Computers, Accessing Information Online, Communicating and Participating Safely Online, Microsoft Word and Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Cybersecurity fundamentals, among others.

The first batch has trained 2,000 civil servants from state, federal, and local levels in Enugu State.

The Enugu State Government plans to train up to 10,000 civil servants by the last quarter of the year (Q4, 2024).

According to the Enugu SME Centre and Office of Digital Economy, the facilitator of the programme on behalf of the Enugu State Government, the primary targets for the training are civil servants between the ages of 21 to 45 years.

The civil servants from the first cohort were selected for training after a thorough assessment process identified those with limited digital skills and foundational digital literacy. Upon completion of the DSN programme, they are expected to enhance their digital competencies and become more proficient and efficient in their roles.

The DSN programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and reflects the Enugu State administration’s commitment to innovation and human capital development.

By fostering digital literacy, the programme aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service, support e-government infrastructure, and contribute to sustainable economic growth and job creation in Nigeria.

Experienced professionals, who facilitated the instructor-led learning at the training, assured that the programme will have far-reaching impacts on the participants. These include ushering in civil servants with essential digital skills, enhancing government services, and equipping the workforce for the future of work, as well as facilitating easy evaluations for promotions and career advancements.

Riding on the success of the maiden edition, the organisers noted that the second phase will involve the trained civil servants teaching their peers, who must pass an assessment to receive certification.