By Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Nigeria has emerged the winner of the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize in Category C3 (Access to Information and Knowledge), with its Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), a flagship initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The announcement was made on Monday, July 7, at the WSIS Prizes Winners Ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland, where the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, received the award on behalf of Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by NCC Acting Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, on Tuesday, July 8.
The DAP, which equips secondary schools across Nigeria with ICT tools and internet connectivity to support learning, teaching, and research, beat hundreds of entries from around the world to clinch the top spot after garnering the highest number of votes in its category.
Launched in 2006, the programme has reached over 300 secondary schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, providing infrastructure that fosters digital literacy among young learners.
In his acceptance remarks, Maida thanked the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the WSIS Forum for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in driving inclusive digital access and national development through ICT.
“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,” he said.
While DAP secured the top prize, four other Nigerian projects were nominated in the prestigious WSIS Champions Category. These include the Women Techsters and 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. Though they did not win, all were recognised for their relevance and impact.
“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),” the statement added.