What if a community could create its own pathway into the digital economy—not simply by waiting for better internet, but by learning how to build and manage connectivity from within?
That is the question behind a five-day digital skills training programme organised by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) for participants from underserved communities in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The programme, which ended yesterday in Abuja, focused on a problem affecting communities across Nigeria and beyond: limited access to reliable internet and the digital skills needed to benefit from it.
But CITAD’s approach goes beyond simply putting people online.
Haruna Adamu, coordinator of the organisation’s Community Network Project, said the initiative was designed to equip participants with practical knowledge to establish, deploy and manage community-based connectivity systems.
The programme represents an expansion of CITAD’s existing community network work into a broader Community-Centred Connectivity Initiative.
So, what can happen when communities gain those skills?
Participant Grace Martin offered one striking example.
She said the initiative contributed to the establishment of a community network and business centre in her community, creating a place where residents could access digital services, look for employment opportunities and participate in online training.
For Martin personally, the impact went even further.
She said the digital literacy opportunities helped her move beyond basic computer skills and develop new expertise, including cybersecurity, an area she is now pursuing.
That raises another important question: how many opportunities could emerge when people who were previously excluded from the digital economy gain the skills to participate?
CITAD believes the answer lies partly in turning trained participants into digital inclusion advocates.
Adamu encouraged participants to return to their communities and use their new knowledge to expand digital campaigns, create awareness and help vulnerable groups understand the opportunities available through technology.
The programme also highlighted groups that can easily be overlooked in conversations about digital transformation—including persons with disabilities, adults with limited digital literacy and residents of communities where internet access remains unreliable.
Martin said the initiative provided opportunities to teach community members that the world is increasingly becoming digital and that they need the skills to participate.
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But there is another piece of the puzzle.
People need more than connectivity. They need people who understand how networks work, how they can be maintained and how communities can use them productively.
That is why practical knowledge formed a major part of the training.
Instead of leaving participants with only theoretical understanding, CITAD exposed them to the processes involved in establishing and managing community networks.
The potential multiplier effect is significant.
One trained participant can teach others. One community network can provide access to services and learning. A business centre can create opportunities for job seekers and entrepreneurs. And digital literacy can open doors that were previously invisible to people.
CITAD’s message is therefore simple but significant: closing the digital divide is not only about connecting people.
It is also about teaching people how to create, manage and maximise the connections available to them.
The bigger question now is what these participants will build when they take those skills back home.
