NITDA, Kogi Partner to Combat Internet Fraud Through Digital Literacy, Skills Development

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Kogi State Government to tackle the growing challenge of internet fraud by equipping young people with digital skills and promoting cybersecurity awareness across the state.
The collaboration was formalised during a meeting at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, where the Kogi delegation, led by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo on Fraud and Internet Matters, Hon. Oluseyi Kelvin Eleta, was received on behalf of NITDA by the agency’s Director of Digital Development Services, Mr. Oladejo Olawumi.
Speaking during the visit, Eleta said Kogi’s location as a gateway state bordering nine states and the Federal Capital Territory has made it increasingly vulnerable to internet fraud. He explained that stricter enforcement in neighbouring states has contributed to an influx of cybercrime activities into Kogi.
He noted that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had already launched a statewide anti-internet fraud campaign on May 25, targeting secondary schools and tertiary institutions through awareness programmes, ethics education and enforcement initiatives. Eleta appealed to NITDA to support the campaign by providing digital literacy training, laptops, technology tools for school clubs, cybersecurity awareness programmes and specialised capacity-building workshops.
Responding, Olawumi reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to supporting Kogi State, describing the requests as consistent with the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and digital literacy.
He highlighted NITDA’s existing presence in Kogi through its IT parks and digital development centres, pledging support to integrate digital literacy into school curricula, share cyber-threat intelligence, provide incident response templates and jointly organise public awareness campaigns, including activities for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October.
Both parties agreed that prevention through education, digital skills acquisition and public awareness offers a more sustainable solution to cybercrime than law enforcement alone. They expressed confidence that the partnership will help safeguard Kogi’s digital ecosystem while creating legitimate opportunities for young people in the digital economy.