The Enugu State Government has successfully completed Batch 4 of its Civil Servants Digital Literacy Training Programme, a flagship initiative of the Enugu SME Center and Office of Digital Economy, designed to build an agile and tech-enabled civil service in line with Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s vision of inclusive governance.
Speaking on the milestone, the Special Adviser to the Governor on SME Development and Digital Economy, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, said the initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to digital inclusion and civil service reform.
“We have just concluded Batch 4 of the Enugu Civil Servants Digital Literacy Training Programme. This is more than just training — it is about equipping our workforce to meet the demands of a 21st-century economy. Through this programme, we are ensuring that no one is left behind, including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) who actively participated and benefitted from hands-on digital training,” Chilo-Offiah said.
Impact in Numbers
According to him, the programme has already recorded remarkable impact:
- Over 5,000 civil servants trained
- More than 10,000 teachers upskilled
- 600 participants in Batch 4 alone, including PWDs, trained in Microsoft Office tools, cloud-based collaboration, and real-time data systems.
Chilo-Offiah noted that the Enugu State Government is determined to build a civil service that is efficient, data-driven, and globally competitive.
“Enugu is not just participating in Nigeria’s digital transformation — we are leading it. We are creating a culture where every citizen, regardless of ability, can contribute meaningfully to governance and development. This is digital inclusion in action, and this is smart governance at scale,” he added.
National and Global Context
The initiative comes against the backdrop of national and global digital transformation goals. Current statistics show that less than 5% of Nigerian civil servants have advanced digital skills, while over 70% of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) still rely on manual processes.
The Federal Government has set a target of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is working to train 10 million Nigerians and 69,000 federal staff annually.
Chilo-Offiah emphasized that Enugu’s efforts position the state as a model for other subnationals.
“Through the Enugu SME Center and the Office of Digital Economy, we are proving that states can take the lead in capacity building and civil service transformation. Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has set a clear direction, and we are committed to sustaining the momentum,” he affirmed.
With Batch 4 completed, the programme is expected to scale further in the coming months, targeting more civil servants, teachers, and vulnerable groups across the state.
