The director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, has reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to establishing and maintaining life-transforming opportunities for girls and women across the nation.
This commitment was conveyed by the DG’s representative and special assistant for strategy and innovation, Mrs. Iklima Musa Salihu, during her delivery of a goodwill message at the meeting of the National Technical Working Group on the ‘Coordination of Service Providers to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls in States,’ organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja.
Abdullahi emphasised that NITDA shoulders the responsibility of fostering innovation and has initiated numerous programmes with the aim of creating transformative opportunities for girls and women. This commitment is being realised through the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan for 2021 to 2024.
The purpose of the one-day meeting was to facilitate a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for addressing violence against women, encompassing prevention, protection, care and support. This strategy aims to foster a shared vision and integrated approach among stakeholders, with a focus on survival and respect for rights.
The DG highlighted one of the agency’s significant achievements – the establishment of the Code of Practice for Interactive Online Platforms. This code outlines measures to combat online harm and safeguard the interests of Nigerians in the digital realm. In addition, NITDA has collaborated with various entities, including the World Bank, to provide training in digital innovation, entrepreneurship, digital marketing and more.
“We have already trained over 560 women and our efforts continue. Programmes such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT-REAP) have played a pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurship across regions. Other initiatives, such as the i-hatch programme and the Technology Innovation, Entrepreneurship Support, Skill programs (TIES), are all designed to empower young people and women within the digital sector,” he stated.
Elaborating further, the DG noted, “However, their invaluable contributions could be jeopardized by the threats posed by an unsafe online environment. Therefore, I urge us all to take advantage of this gathering to collectively address the issue of violence against women and girls. If left unchecked, this issue can have significant implications for our nation”.
The event was attended by the host, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Monilola Udoh, as well as representatives from organisations such as the World Bank, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN), United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other relevant stakeholders.
