Nigeria’s digital education conversation may need to look beyond students and devices and pay closer attention to the people standing in front of the classroom every day.
As artificial intelligence, online learning platforms and digital tools continue to change how students learn, teachers are increasingly becoming the link between technology and meaningful education. For Nigeria, where digital literacy remains an important part of preparing young people for the modern economy, investing in educators could prove just as important as providing students with access to technology.
The experience of a recent digital technology programme for women educators in Ghana offers an interesting lesson for Nigeria. The Women Educators in Internet and Technology, known as WEITech, has trained female educators in digital literacy, educational technology, artificial intelligence, content creation, entrepreneurship and other technology-related skills. One hundred women recently graduated from the programme after completing the training.
The significance goes beyond the number of graduates.
A teacher who becomes confident with technology does not keep that knowledge to herself. She can introduce digital tools into lessons, help students navigate online information and encourage young people to see technology as something they can create with, rather than simply consume.
This is particularly important for girls. When female students see women confidently using technology, building digital solutions and teaching technical skills, the message becomes more practical and relatable.
For Nigeria, that multiplier effect could make women educators an important part of the next phase of the country’s digital literacy efforts.
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The Classroom Could Be Nigeria’s Digital Training Ground
Digital literacy is no longer simply about knowing how to operate a computer or browse the internet. Students increasingly need to understand online safety, evaluate information critically, use digital learning platforms, create content and eventually work with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Teachers therefore need these skills too.
The African Union’s Digital Education Strategy recognises digital competence as a core skill for educators and specifically encourages women educators to develop strong digital literacy so they can serve as role models. The strategy also highlights the need to address gender inequality in digital competence across education systems.
This provides an important framework for thinking about Nigeria.
If digital literacy programmes focus only on distributing devices to students without adequately preparing teachers to use those devices effectively, the technology may not produce its intended educational impact.
But when teachers understand how technology can support teaching, assessment, research and student engagement, digital tools become part of the learning process rather than expensive equipment sitting in classrooms.
Women educators could also play an important role in encouraging more girls to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Their presence can help challenge the idea that technology is primarily a male space.
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Back Story: Ghana’s WEITech Programme Shows What Is Possible
The WEITech programme was implemented by the DreamOval Foundation with support from the Internet Society Foundation. Since its launch in April 2025, the initiative has worked with female educators through training, practical projects and industry exposure. Participants were introduced to areas including artificial intelligence, digital literacy, educational technology, digital safety, online course design, STEAM education, content creation and entrepreneurship.
The programme eventually produced 100 women educators who graduated in June 2026.
One of the strongest examples of what such training can produce came from Deborah Danquah, an English teacher and the programme’s best graduating participant. She developed an educational technology application designed to provide students with faster feedback on essay writing. Plans for the project include expanding it with virtual classroom and student progress monitoring features.
Twelve participant-led educational technology solutions were also exhibited, covering areas such as teaching, assessment, content creation and teacher development. Some participants received seed funding to continue developing their ideas.
The lesson for Nigeria is straightforward. Digital literacy training does not have to stop at teaching people how to use technology. With the right support, educators can become creators of solutions for problems they encounter in their classrooms.
What Nigeria Can Learn From the Model
Nigeria does not need to copy Ghana’s programme word for word. Its education system, population and digital challenges are different. But the underlying idea deserves serious consideration.
A national digital literacy strategy could place greater emphasis on training teachers, particularly women educators in underserved communities. Training should go beyond basic computer skills and include practical areas such as artificial intelligence, digital safety, educational technology, online content creation and digital entrepreneurship.
The approach should also recognise the realities of Nigerian schools. A teacher in a well-connected urban school may have access to resources that are unavailable to a teacher in a rural community. Digital literacy programmes therefore need to combine skills development with access to appropriate infrastructure and continued support.
There is also an economic argument.
When educators acquire digital skills, those skills can improve their professional opportunities while helping them introduce new forms of learning to their students. The benefits can therefore extend from the teacher to the classroom, the family and eventually the wider community.
The African Union has already identified inclusive digital education, gender equality and educator competence as important parts of Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
For Nigeria, the next major digital literacy push may therefore need to begin with a simple question: who is teaching the digital generation?
The answer could determine how successfully technology moves from being something students have access to into something they genuinely understand, use and create with.
And increasingly, women educators may have a major role to play in making that transition happen.
