AREAi partners UK govt to launch SCALE program to drive digital sustainability across Nigeria

Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi) has received funding from the United Kingdom government through the Digital Access Program (DAP) of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to implement a multilayered initiative to mitigate the environmental impact of Nigeria’s burgeoning technology ecosystem. This will be championed through a series of activities that ranges from evidence generation, knowledge management and mobilisation, incentivized capacity development, media-driven public awareness, and high-level policy advocacy activities. The intervention seeks to align producers, consumers and stakeholders of the technology sector with eco-consciousness, ensuring a greener, more sustainable future for Nigeria’s digital landscape.

This nationwide initiative, under the theme “Smart Climate Awareness, Learning and Empowerment (SCALE) for Net Zero” program will directly engage information and communications technology (ICT) companies, digital start-ups, innovation hubs and other key stakeholders in the tech. ecosystem to facilitate their understanding about technology’s high negative environmental cost, and then mobilise them to collectively commit and act towards reducing their contributions to digital carbon footprint. Through this intervention, AREAi will drive a large-scale citizenry engagement strategy, by providing empowerment to key technology hubs located across Abia, Rivers, Lagos, Kaduna and Adamawa states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, . As part of the implementation, the organisation will also be working in collaboration with research institutions, tech startups, government agencies and civil society organisations.

More significantly, to mobilize high level stakeholders engagement in fulfilment of the policy regulatory requirements of the initiative, we will be exploring key partnerships with National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization Nigeria, National Information Technology Development Agency, the Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), the Inter-ministerial Committee on Climate Change (ICCC) and the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan Office.
Speaking at the media briefing, Gideon Olanrewaju, the Chief Executive Officer of AREAi who also doubles as the Project Manager, buttressed that the SCALE initiative will improve ecoconsciousness and drive responsible digital behaviours in the usage and maintenance of digital tools and internet devices.

In his address during the briefing, he echoed the commitment of his organisation in leveraging her expansive organizational expertise and extensive capacity in leading digital transformation and sustainability initiatives through research, policy advocacy and practice to the actualisation of the entire project’s objectives.

In the same vein, Idongesit Udoh, Head of the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and Country Adviser, said that “This intervention undoubtedly represents a novel pioneering effort to leverage evidence-based, citizens-led approaches to catalyze unprecedented progress in digital sustainability awareness and supporting the progressive use of technology in a way that is environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable. Hence, the UK Government is once again demonstrating timely support, not only for Nigeria’s inclusive economic development but also in building eco-friendliness within its technology ecosystem through energy-efficient technology business operations. Our DAP program will continue to initiate significant partnerships with local organisations to drive the UK Government’s continued support for Nigeria and its digital sector, recognizing the tech ecosystem’ role in net zero transition and sustainable development.