News
Borno deploys 21 digital centres as 20,836 residents complete skills training
Borno State says it has established 21 digital literacy centres across 21 of its 27 local government areas, with 24,178 residents enrolled in digital skills programmes and 20,836 completing their training since the initiative began in 2024.
The figures highlight the scale of the state’s effort to expand digital access beyond major urban centres and narrow the technology gap affecting underserved communities.
The initiative, implemented by the Borno State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (BICTDA), has recorded an 86.2% completion rate, with 3,342 enrolled participants yet to complete their programmes.
With six of Borno’s 27 local government areas yet to be covered, the programme currently reaches about 78% of the state’s LGAs.
The initiative has attracted national recognition, with Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) commending BICTDA for its contribution to digital inclusion in the state.
“You are doing a great job. I have been seeing your footprints,” the NITDA DG told BICTDA during an engagement at GITEX Nigeria.
21 centres cover 21 LGAs
BICTDA’s digital literacy programme is designed to decentralise access to technology by establishing facilities at community level rather than concentrating digital resources in major cities.
The 21 centres provide access to computers, internet connectivity, solar power and structured digital skills training, particularly in communities where reliable electricity, connectivity and technology infrastructure remain limited.
The coverage means that BICTDA has established at least one digital literacy centre in 21 of Borno’s 27 LGAs, leaving six LGAs for future expansion.
The numbers give the programme a significant geographic footprint in a state where access to digital infrastructure has historically been affected by infrastructure constraints, geographical barriers and insecurity.
24,178 enrolled, 20,836 complete training
Since the programme was established in 2024, 24,178 residents have enrolled, while 20,836 have completed various digital skills programmes.
That leaves 3,342 participants, or about 13.8% of total enrolments, yet to complete their training.
The training covers basic computer operations, Microsoft Office applications, internet and email use, digital communication, cybersecurity and digital financial literacy.
BICTDA has subsequently expanded the curriculum into areas including artificial intelligence (AI), coding, cloud computing and digital entrepreneurship, reflecting the increasing demand for technology skills in the digital economy.
The programme therefore extends beyond basic computer literacy to skills that can potentially support employment, entrepreneurship and participation in digitally enabled services.
More than 10,000 take Cisco courses
Beyond the physical centres, more than 10,000 participants have completed online courses through Cisco Networking Academy, giving beneficiaries exposure to cybersecurity, AI, networking and digital awareness.
BICTDA has also partnered with institutions including the Digital Bridge Institute to expand training in AI, prompt engineering, cloud computing and data analytics.
The combination of physical centres and online programmes allows the state to extend its reach beyond participants who can attend classroom-based training.
Digital infrastructure backs training
BICTDA is complementing its skills programmes with investments in digital infrastructure and systems intended to support learning, programme monitoring and governance.
The agency has developed Children’s and Adult Learning Management Systems, an Information Management System for tracking digital literacy programmes and an AI Framework.
It has also deployed computers, laptops, servers, networking equipment and multimedia facilities across the digital literacy infrastructure.
Solar power installations and broadband connectivity are being used to address two of the major barriers to sustained digital access: electricity and internet availability.
At selected locations, BICTDA has introduced Starlink services to improve connectivity where conventional infrastructure may be inadequate.
The combination of connectivity and alternative power is intended to ensure that the availability of electricity or internet services does not determine whether residents can access digital training.
Women, students and underserved communities targeted
The programme covers a broad range of beneficiaries, including civil servants, students, teachers, young people, women and girls, entrepreneurs, journalists, ICT professionals and persons living with disabilities.
It also targets underserved and conflict-affected communities, where improved access to digital skills could create new opportunities in education, employment, entrepreneurship and online services.
The 21-LGA coverage is particularly significant because it shifts digital literacy provision away from a predominantly urban model and towards communities that have historically had less access to technology resources.
More than 20 organisations support programme
BICTDA has also built a partnership network involving more than 20 national and international organisations supporting its digital development initiatives.
Partners include NITDA, Cisco Networking Academy, the Digital Bridge Institute, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Google, ZOA International, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT).
The partnerships provide access to training resources, technology, expertise and certification opportunities, complementing Borno State’s investment in physical digital infrastructure.
Six LGAs remain to be covered
The programme’s current numbers show both its scale and the size of the remaining coverage gap.
Of Borno’s 27 LGAs, 21 currently have digital literacy centres, leaving six LGAs without the same level of physical access under the initiative.
At the same time, the programme has enrolled 24,178 people and trained 20,836, indicating that the existing centres are already serving thousands of residents.
The next phase will therefore determine whether BICTDA can extend the programme to the remaining six LGAs while increasing participation and completion rates among existing beneficiaries.
The expansion comes as governments across Nigeria increasingly position digital skills as a pathway to employment, innovation and participation in the digital economy.
For Borno, the programme also forms part of a wider development strategy aimed at making technology access available in communities where insecurity, infrastructure limitations and geographical barriers have historically restricted opportunities.
The recognition from NITDA at GITEX Nigeria places BICTDA’s initiative within the broader national push for digital inclusion and technology skills development.
With 21 centres, 21 LGAs covered, 24,178 enrolments and 20,836 completed training, Borno has established a measurable foundation for expanding digital participation across the state. The remaining six LGAs represent the next major coverage target as the state seeks to extend digital skills opportunities to more residents.
Health
Updated: Independence Anniversary: Tinubu promises stronger primary healthcare for poor Nigerians
President Bola Tinubu has promised to strengthen primary healthcare services for poorer Nigerians as part of his administration’s efforts to reduce poverty and improve living conditions.
Mr Tinubu, in a televised address marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary, said his administration would work with state and local governments to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education, and other essential public services poorer Nigerians depend on.
“That is why, working with our states and local governments, we will continue to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education, and the essential public services poorer Nigerians depend on most,” he said.
The promise comes against the backdrop of persistent challenges in Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, with recent assessments and PREMIUM TIMES investigations documenting shortages of health workers, poor infrastructure, inadequate equipment and gaps in basic utilities at several facilities.
PHCs face staffing, infrastructure gaps
A recent assessment of 1,480 primary healthcare centres across 16 states found that 97 per cent of the facilities failed to meet the national minimum staffing requirement.
The assessment, conducted between October 2023 and June 2025 by Orodata Science and Civic Tech, covered 277 local government areas across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Only three per cent of the facilities assessed met the national minimum staffing requirement, while 11 of the 16 states had no assessed PHC that met the standard.
The assessment also found that 40 per cent of the facilities had broken ceilings or leaking roofs, while 38 per cent operated without electricity.
Another 39 per cent relied on unsafe water sources, while 75 per cent lacked essential neonatal resuscitation equipment.
About 75 per cent of the PHCs assessed were located in rural communities, where such facilities often serve as the first, and sometimes only, formal source of healthcare for residents, the report said.
PREMIUM TIMES’ recent investigation into rural PHCs in Osun State also found that challenges persisted at some facilities despite government spending and interventions aimed at revitalising primary healthcare.
The investigation across three PHCs found problems including deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate staffing, limited equipment and gaps in essential services.
Increase in PHC financing
The federal government has, however, reported increased funding for primary healthcare under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
In June, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said N339 billion had been disbursed to states through the BHCPF since its establishment in 2014, with N235 billion of the amount disbursed in the three years of the Tinubu administration.
Mr Pate said the increased funding reflected intensified investment in primary healthcare and had helped expand access to essential health services.
He said more than 8,000 PHCs across the 36 states were receiving funding through the BHCPF gateways, while assessments were underway to increase the number of supported facilities to 17,600 nationwide.
The government has also launched the Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme (HOPE-PHC), a $570 million programme designed to strengthen primary healthcare as part of a wider human capital development and poverty-reduction initiative.
The link between healthcare and poverty reduction
In his address, Mr Tinubu acknowledged that millions of Nigerians still struggle to meet basic needs, including healthcare costs.
“I am also conscious that millions of our fellow citizens cannot wait for tomorrow. Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work,” he said.
ALSO READ: FG approves N32 billion for BHCPF to strengthen primary healthcare services
He said the difficulties facing vulnerable Nigerians were not created by the economic reforms of the last three years but were the accumulated consequences of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunities and institutions that had often failed those who needed them most.
Mr Tinubu said his administration could not erase in four years problems that had accumulated over generations but could change their course.
“We can build an economy that steadily lifts people out of poverty while ensuring that those who remain vulnerable are not abandoned along the way,” he said.
He said the government was strengthening direct support for poor households and improving the National Social Register so that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.
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