The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has won the 2025 award of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) for raising the bar of digital literacy through its Digital Awareness Programme (DAP).
The commission’s project won the prize under Category C3, which is on Access to Information and Knowledge.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Wada Maida, received the award in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday during the WSIS Prizes presentation ceremony.
According to the Acting Head of Media Department of the NCC, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, the Digital Awareness Programme was one of scores of projects submitted for the WSIS Prizes competition 2025 by the Commission.
Mrs Ukoha said in a statement issued in Abuja that the programme received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour.
She explained that the programme equipped secondary schools across the country with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and provided internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research.
She said since its inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefited from the programme.
Dr Maida, in his acceptance speech, commended the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and WSIS for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access across Nigeria, noting that the award would serve as further motivation for the Commission.
“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts—it is an encouragement to press forward. 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,” Maida said.
According to Mrs Ukoha, four other Nigerian projects-the Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) under Capacity Building, the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment, and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning-were also celebrated for their nomination for the Champions Category of Projects at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony.
Mrs Ukoha said, “The WSIS Prizes competition recognises and promotes projects that effectively leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development.
“The competition showcases how technology can serve as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving the SDGs.
“Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse approaches to building an inclusive information society.
“The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) initiative aimed at building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.
“It provides a multi-stakeholder platform to address issues related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their role in achieving sustainable development.
“The Forum is an annual event that brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations.
“It serves as a global platform for implementing the WSIS Action Lines, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs
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