By Juliet Umeh

Nigeria has achieved an international recognition as the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, secured the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society, WSIS, prize for its impactful Digital Awareness Programme, DAP.

 The win, announced on Monday in Geneva, was under Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge for its pivotal role in equipping secondary schools across Nigeria with essential Information and Communication Technology, ICT, resources and internet connectivity, thereby bolstering teaching, learning, and research.

Since its inception in 2006, the program has empowered over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The DAP, chosen from hundreds of global submissions, garnered the highest number of votes in its category.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, expressed gratitude to the hosts, the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, and WSIS, for acknowledging Nigeria’s commitment to promoting inclusive digital access.

“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts, it is an encouragement to press forward,” Dr. Maida stated. “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 the DAP’s win, four other Nigerian initiatives received notable recognition at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony, being celebrated for their nomination in the Champions Category of Projects. The initiatives included: Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions, ADEPTI, both under Capacity Building; the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning.

While these projects were not among the top-voted entries, their significant merit and impact were duly acknowledged, highlighting Nigeria’s broader commitment to digital transformation.