NCC’s digital awareness programme wins 2025 WSIS Access Prize

Nigeria has emerged a global ICT leader after clinching the prestigious 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize for its Digital Awareness Programme (DAP).

The honour was awarded under Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge, a category that highlights transformative initiatives using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to expand equitable access to information.

The announcement was made during the WSIS Prizes Winners Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Nigeria’s entry, submitted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), secured the highest number of votes in its category—surpassing hundreds of competing projects from across the world.

The Digital Awareness Programme, which began in 2006, is one of Nigeria’s flagship ICT initiatives. Spearheaded by the NCC, the programme equips secondary schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with ICT tools and internet access to foster digital literacy, promote e-learning, and support academic research. To date, over 300 schools nationwide have benefited from the initiative.

Accepting the award on behalf of Nigeria, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, praised the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and WSIS for acknowledging Nigeria’s push toward digital inclusiveness.

“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts—it is an encouragement to press forward,” Dr. Maida said. “It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage.”

Beyond DAP’s success, Nigeria also earned global commendation for four additional ICT-driven projects that were nominated in the WSIS Champions Category—a designation for projects that demonstrated exceptional merit even if they did not win their respective categories. These include:

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Women Techsters – promoting gender inclusion through digital skills for women and girls.

Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) – building ICT capacities in higher education.

Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative – supporting innovation through research funding.

These initiatives, while not category winners, were celebrated for their positive impact on digital empowerment and education.

The WSIS Prizes competition is a key feature of the annual World Summit on the Information Society, a United Nations initiative organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It showcases global best practices in leveraging ICT for sustainable development and supports the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines, which are closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Forum is a high-level global platform bringing together stakeholders from governments, private sector, academia, civil society, and international organizations to discuss innovative ways of using technology for development.

With this recognition, Nigeria reinforces its commitment to bridging the digital divide, fostering digital literacy, and expanding access to information across all segments of society—particularly among the youth and underserved communities.