May 15, 2018

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said it had begun training for Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) to ensure digital inclusion for the citizens.

Dr Isa Pantami, a Director General of the agency made this disclosure in a statement he signed on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Pantami, the specialised training and digital inclusion will ensure that PLWDs get the skills to enable them enjoy the benefits of technological age.

The D-G recalled the World Bank report of 2011, which stated that one billion people globally lived with one form of disability or another.

He said the World Report on Disability (WRD) further said that 25 million Nigerians lived with one form of disability or the other and it was important to include them in the ICT skills acquisition.

“NITDA has been organising an annual ICT training for PLWDs as a means of building their capacity to make them self-reliant.

“The training takes place in the six geopolitical zones of the country;  this year’s edition is taking place in the North East”.

The D-G said Gombe State was hosting the trainees from other North Eastern states.

Pantami said “more than 350 participants applied for the training and the participants were selected by a team of experts”.

He added that the trainees were drawn from all the six states in the North East Zone.

According to him, the physically challenged people with hearing and visual impairment are all in the training.

“During the training, the participants will be taught Computer Essentials, Online Collaboration, Digital Literacy and Entrepreneurship, amongst others.

“The curriculum will also include cluster specific topics.

“Each of the participants will be provided with a specialised Laptop with Custom Software installed to meet the distinct training needs of the participants in each of the three clusters”.

Pantami, however, said that the training, post event mentor-ship would enable the PLWDs to retrain others.

He emphasised that the specialised ICT Training for PLWDs was part of its mandate to develop and regulate Information Technology (IT) in the country.