Nigeria’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), an initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has won the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize in Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge.
Selected from hundreds of global entries, Nigeria’s Digital Awareness Programme received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour. 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 launch 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 on during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida thanked the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and WSIS for recognising Nigeria’s commitment to digital inclusion.
“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.”
In addition to the DAP’s win, four other Nigerian projects were honoured as WSIS Champion Projects in their respective categories. These include:
- Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) under Capacity Building.
- Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment.
- Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning.
Though these projects were not the top-voted in their categories, they were recognised for their significant impact and merit.
The WSIS Prizes competition celebrates outstanding ICT-based initiatives that contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Held annually, the competition showcases how technology can be leveraged to address global development challenges.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN initiative focused on building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. Its annual forum brings together stakeholders from government, private sector, academia, civil society, and international organisations to promote digital advancement through the WSIS Action Lines.
