Older Adults and Digital Literacy in Urban Kaduna: Needs Assessment Study

This study conducted a needs assessment of digital literacy skills among older adults in urban Kaduna, North West Nigeria. Rapid digitalisation of public services, financial transactions, and social communication has created new forms of exclusion for older populations with limited technology competencies. The study adopted a descriptive survey design targeting 155 adults aged 50 years and above residing in three urban districts of Kaduna. Data collection instruments included structured questionnaires, digital skills observation tests, and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the majority of participants lacked basic digital literacy skills such as using a smartphone for mobile banking, accessing government e-services, and communicating via email or messaging applications. Older women demonstrated significantly lower digital competency levels compared to older men, reflecting compounding disadvantages of gender and age. Participants expressed strong willingness to acquire digital skills but reported anxiety about technology use, fear of financial fraud, and lack of appropriate learning resources as major deterrents. Most existing digital literacy programmes in Kaduna were designed for younger populations and failed to accommodate the pace and learning preferences of older adults. Recommendations include developing age-friendly digital literacy curricula, training facilitators in geriatric education principles, and establishing dedicated digital literacy centres for older adults in community spaces such as mosques, churches, and community halls. Partnerships with telecommunications companies and mobile network operators are also proposed. Keywords: digital literacy, older adults, technology education, Kaduna State, needs assessment.