Nigeria has taken another bold step in its digital transformation journey as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Benue State Government, launched the “One Student, One Computer & One Skill+” initiative. The unveiling, which held in Makurdi on September 4, 2025, was more than just a policy announcement—it was a heartfelt promise to empower young people with the tools and skills they need to thrive in the 21st-century digital economy.
The launch coincided with the graduation of the first batch of students from the Benue Summer Tech Training Programme and the induction of the first cohort of Digital Benue Children Ambassadors. More than 80 students had undergone weeks of intensive hands-on training in fields such as software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), digital creativity, and other emerging technologies. Alongside technical exposure, they were also taught workplace readiness and soft skills to prepare them for real-world opportunities.
The event carried an atmosphere of both pride and anticipation. Parents, teachers, and government officials watched as students walked up the stage—not just to receive certificates but to showcase what they had learned. Demonstrations ranged from simple coding projects to AI applications, leaving many in awe of what could be achieved when opportunity meets youthful curiosity.
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From Trainees to Ambassadors: Building the Next Generation of Digital Champions
The highlight of the ceremony was the induction of the students as Digital Benue Children Ambassadors. This recognition is more than a title—it is a call to service. Each ambassador is expected to return to their schools and communities as role models, sharing digital skills, encouraging curiosity, and inspiring peers to embrace innovation.
Representing NITDA’s Director General, Mr. Ajayi Babajide, Director of Zonal Office Coordination, delivered a moving address. He commended the students for their dedication and urged them to apply their creativity and newly acquired skills towards solving real problems in their communities. “This programme is not just about computers and certificates,” he noted, “it is about giving you the wings to fly in a digital world that is moving very fast.”
The symbolism of this moment cannot be overstated. In many rural and semi-urban parts of Benue, access to computers remains a luxury, and digital literacy is far from universal. For these young ambassadors, becoming tech champions means carrying the weight of possibility—the chance to break cycles of exclusion and rewrite the story of digital participation for their peers.
Parents in attendance echoed this sense of pride. One mother shared how her daughter, once uninterested in school, had suddenly developed a passion for technology after learning coding basics during the training. “She now talks about building an app for farmers in our village,” she said with tears of joy. Such testimonies underline the transformative power of early exposure to technology.
Bridging the Digital Divide with Devices and Training
The strength of the “One Student, One Computer & One Skill+” initiative lies in its two-pronged approach. First, each participating student is promised a personal computer. Second, they receive structured training in digital skills. This combination ensures that learning does not stop when the training centre closes. With their own devices, students can continue to practice, explore, and innovate long after the workshops.
Benue State, often referred to as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” has long been known for its agricultural strength. But in today’s economy, food security and digital literacy are not mutually exclusive—they are interdependent. As the world increasingly embraces precision agriculture, AI-powered farm solutions, and digital marketplaces, equipping Benue’s youth with digital competence could also transform the state’s agribusiness potential.
Beyond agriculture, this initiative addresses the broader digital divide that continues to hold back many Nigerian states. While urban centres like Lagos and Abuja often dominate headlines for tech innovation, rural and semi-urban states like Benue risk being left behind without intentional interventions. By distributing devices and training simultaneously, the state and NITDA are ensuring that no student is excluded from the opportunities of the digital era.
It also ties into NITDA’s larger national mandate to push for inclusive digital growth across Nigeria. Over the years, the agency has been consistent in promoting digital literacy, smart schools, and AI-driven learning. The partnership with Benue State is part of a wider strategy to ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of geography, has the chance to become digitally fluent.
What This Means for Benue and Nigeria’s Digital Future
The “One Student, One Computer & One Skill+” initiative builds on earlier partnerships between NITDA and the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC). In June 2025, both parties signed an MoU to promote smart schools, AI training, and digital literacy across the state. Before that, Benue had also piloted the “One Student, One Teacher, One Computer, One Digital Skill + Certification” programme, showing a steady and deliberate progression in its digital agenda.
These interventions demonstrate that Benue is not treating digital literacy as a one-off event but as a sustained policy direction. By embedding ICT into schools, training teachers, and ensuring students receive personal computers, the state is laying the foundation for a digitally literate generation that can compete globally.
For Nigeria as a whole, this initiative sets a powerful precedent. It shows how state and federal agencies can collaborate meaningfully to bridge infrastructural gaps, empower local communities, and prepare the next generation for a globalised economy. The vision is clear: to raise a cohort of Nigerian youths who are not only consumers of technology but also creators, innovators, and problem-solvers.
Looking ahead, the success of this programme could encourage replication in other states. Imagine if every Nigerian child had both a personal computer and a relevant digital skill before leaving secondary school. The ripple effects would be enormous—from reducing youth unemployment to boosting Nigeria’s global competitiveness in technology and innovation.
The Benue launch is, therefore, more than a state-level event. It is a national call to action—a reminder that Nigeria’s future lies not in oil wells or raw materials alone, but in the minds and creativity of its youth.
As the graduating students raised their certificates high and pledged to be worthy digital ambassadors, it was clear that a seed had been planted. Whether in software engineering, AI research, or simply using digital tools to improve local businesses, these young ambassadors now carry the responsibility of leading their communities into the digital age.
And if the determination on their faces was anything to go by, the future of digital Benue—and by extension, Nigeria—looks bright.
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