Abstract

This study examines digital literacy and ICT utilisation among public servants in Nigeria. Despite investing in digital platforms over the years, many systems continue to operate below capacity, even with sustained policy attention and infrastructure investments. The study argues that a structural misalignment persists between increasingly digitised administrative systems and a public workforce whose digital competencies remain unevenly developed. The study is anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Institutional Theory, and Human Capital Theory. Collectively, these theories explain how digital uptake depends on perceived usefulness and ease of use, institutional incentives, and workforce capabilities. Using a qualitative, desk-based narrative synthesis design, this study synthesised evidence from Nigerian and comparative studies published primarily between 2020 and 2025. Findings indicate that digital literacy positively influences ICT utilisation and service delivery, while inadequate training, weak infrastructure, organisational resistance, and weak competency-based recruitment systems hinder effective digital transformation. The study concludes that capability-centred reforms are essential for improving digital outcomes and proposes policy interventions in recruitment, training, performance management, and institutional support