Over  100 people living with disabilities in Lagos State have completed a two-day workshop organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), focused on building digital literacy, online safety awareness, and familiarity with assistive tools.

The session, held on September 9 and 10, 2026, carried the theme “Empowering Persons with Disabilities Through Digital Citizenship for an Inclusive Digital Economy.”

Participates covered topics including basic digital literacy, internet usage, online safety practices, privacy protection, adaptive technology, and responsible online conduct. Rather than simply teaching device operation, organizers emphasized how digital tools could enhance participants’ independence, personal safety, and access to broader opportunities — including recognizing fraudulent schemes and safeguarding personal data online.

They also explored adaptive tools such as voice-to-text software, designed to simplify device interaction for people with certain disabilities. Organizers additionally addressed the stigma and exclusion that many disabled Nigerians continue to face, noting how such attitudes restrict full participation in society.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida — represented at the event by Helen Obi, Director of the Commission’s Digital Economy Department — described the program as evidence of the regulator’s dedication to removing disability-related obstacles to involvement in Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.

Maida noted that genuine digital inclusion requires more than simply expanding internet access. He explained that being digitally literate means understanding how to engage online safely, guard personal information, spot deception and false information, and grasp one’s rights and obligations in digital spaces. He added that technology could help disabled individuals overcome obstacles in schooling and employment while opening doors in business ownership, remote work, and access to public resources.

The Lagos workshop forms part of a broader NCC effort to extend digital training to disabled Nigerians nationwide. Maida pointed to other accessibility initiatives, including the Commission’s E-Accessibility Project, research into adaptive devices such as an assistive cane prototype for visually impaired persons, and the fourth annual Hackathon themed “Technology Without Barriers,” which invited developers to build accessibility-focused solutions.

According to the NCC, expanding internet access alone won’t achieve meaningful inclusion unless people also gain the confidence and skills to use technology effectively and securely. Maida called for closer cooperation among government bodies, regulators, tech firms, service providers, international partners, civil society groups, and disability advocacy organizations, arguing that accessibility should be built into digital products from the design stage onward.

The Commission credited the Lagos State Government, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, and other partners for supporting the program. For participants, the training offered tools they can put to immediate use — from spotting scams and securing personal data to navigating assistive technology with greater confidence.

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