The  Honourable Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu on Monday, 21st November, 2016 inauguarated the first Digital Literacy Council.
            According to him, “Digital Literacy Programme provides the opportunity for individuals and communities to understand and to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information for meaningful actions and within life situations”.
 
            Barr. Shittu, while tracing the background of what necessitated the formation of the council, said with the economy now experiencing a downturn due to the dwindling revenue from Oil and Gas and inadequate economic diversification, government believes that the ICT sector has the potential to be the arrow head for wearing the country off Oil and Gas, the Nigeria ICT Roadmap was therefore developed as an integrated, multi-stakeholder framework that would be used to direct activities of the ICT sector for the period 2016 to 2019. And one of the integral components of the ICT sector Roadmap, he noted was the development of a smart, globally competitive workforce and digitally literate population; and the key initiative targeted at achieving this objective was the Digital Literacy Programme .
            The minister restated the obvious existence of a Global Digital Literacy Council which defines and serves as a credible and authoritative voice on issues driving the development of Global Digital Literacy Standards and systems. For him, this council will oversee and guide the development of digital literacy standards, and ensure that such standards are market-driven, such that delivery methodologies and reporting systems align with market (Corporate, educational, workforce development/government, and individuals) expectations of computing literacy.
            Members of the Nigerian Digital Literacy Council have been carefully selected to represent key stakeholders and Industry representatives, including corporate executives, top government officials, academicians and industry lummaries. In view of the seriousness attached to this great task, I have also taken the responsibility of chairing the council, the minister said.
            The council which would be expected to develop a National Digital Literacy Policy and strategic action plan for the implementation of this initiative as well as identify and harness opportunities for partnerships in order to provide Digital Literacy services to Nigerian citizens irrespective of their geographical location within the country and all its decisions implemented by the Digital Literacy Management Committee under the leadership of the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (PANTAMI).
 
            Barr. Adebayo Shittu Charged the council to seize the opportunity of the inauguration to deliberate and agree on its modus oparandi.
 
            Some of the council members who were present included Permanent Secretary from the ministries of communications, Arc. Sonny Echono, Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Chinyeaka Ohaa, Women Affairs and Social Development, Phyllis Nwokedi , Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, and  the Public Service Reform, Director General, Dr. Joe Abba. Others from the academia and industry representative were the National University Commission (NUC). Executive Secretary, Prof. Adamu Rashidu, The VC, Univerfsity of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka, VC, Bayero University, Prof. Muhammed Y. Bello, Ibrahim Dikko, MD/CEO Backbone Communications Nigeria Ltd (BCN) and Stanley Jegede, CEO Phase 3 Telecom.