By NAN
Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), an organisation that promotes the rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), says prioritising digital inclusion for PWDs is crucial to achieving 95 per cent digital literacy in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, disclosed this on Thursday at a Consultative Forum on Digital Literacy for Women and Girls with Disabilities organised by IFA in Abuja.
Jerry said the forum was to address digital literacy challenges facing persons with disabilities and to seek the way forward.
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She said this was crucial against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s quest to attain 95 per cent digital literacy for all Nigerians by 2030 and the need for inclusion for PWDs, especially women and girls.
“In Nigeria, about 35 million persons representing 16 per cent of the total population have one form of disability or the other.
“While there has been incremental progress in removing disabling barriers to ensure the full participation of PWDs in all spheres of life of the Nigerian society, several credible studies indicate that they are largely excluded.
“They are excluded from, and lack access to basic services including health, education, rehabilitation, employment, economic opportunities and so on.
“In line with global trends, up to 90 per cent of PWDs in Nigeria live in abject poverty. Although disability rights laws and policies now exist at the national level and in some states,” IFA boss said.
According to her, the gap in digital literacy between the disability community and the rest of the population remains one of the key factors responsible for this.
“In particular, in 2023, a study found that 61 per cent of women and girls with disabilities could not power a computer on/off (Tech4Dev).”
“In an attempt to bridge this gap, Nigeria, through the National Information Development Agency (NITDA) developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF).”
She said the agency made recommendations for mainstreaming digital literacy in Nigeria based on international best practices towards achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030.
“However, the NDFL does not take cognisance of the peculiarities of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls, and does not make any specific and targeted provisions for them.
“Hence, the import of this consultative forum, the objectives of which include to build network and alliance towards enhancing digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities.
“It is to also analyse the NDLF and develop strategic and actionable recommendations to make it disability-inclusive, especially for women and girls with disabilities.”
Jerry added that if the quest to attain 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 would be realised, adequate attention should be given to the peculiar circumstances of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls.
According to her, this is because digital literacy is essential to accelerating the employability skills and improving the livelihoods of Nigerians to live a more meaningful and productive life.
She said that unequal digital inclusion was a contributing factor to the disproportionate poverty among Nigerians, especially persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities.
The IFA boss urged all stakeholders, including NITDA and government at all levels, to put persons with disabilities at the centre of the drive towards a digital economy powered by a digitally literate population.
Mrs Tracy Onabis, Facilitator and Programme Officer, IFA, while speaking on the Analysis of the National Digital Literacy Framework 2023(NDLF), said that PWDs have some rights to be protected under the NDLF.
Onabis said these included: right to work on equal basis with others, literacy awareness raising, disability digital literacy data collection, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of NDLF for disability impact, partnership for mass disability digital literacy among others.
“It has become clear that the NDLF is a veritable tool to drive digital skill up scaling in Nigeria, and the blatant exclusion of the disability community, whether by act or omission raises a lot of concern.
“It is our belief that the addendum arising from our recommendations today will guide all stakeholders in ensuring that the NDLF and all related issues become inclusive in word and practice.”(NAN)
