Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has emerged winner of the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize for its Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), under Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge.
The DAP was selected from among hundreds of entries submitted for the WSIS Prizes 2025 competition. It received the highest number of votes in its category, earning top honours. The programme equips secondary schools across Nigeria with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and provides internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research. Since its inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefited from the initiative.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, received the award during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida expressed gratitude to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the WSIS community for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access. He noted that the award would serve as a further catalyst for the Commission’s work.
“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,” Dr. Maida said.
In addition to the DAP win, four other Nigerian projects were nominated for the WSIS Champions Category, highlighting the country’s growing impact in the ICT for development space. These include:
- 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.
Although these projects did not win in their respective categories, they were acknowledged for their significant merit and impact.
The WSIS Prizes recognise outstanding projects that leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development, showcasing how technology can address global challenges and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse efforts to build an inclusive information society.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) initiative focused on building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. It provides a multi-stakeholder platform for addressing ICT-related issues and promoting sustainable development. The annual WSIS Forum brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations to advance the WSIS Action Lines, which align with the SDGs.
Caption:
L–R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, receives the WSIS 2025 Prize (Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge) from the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, following the selection of the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) as winner of the category.
