The director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi has underscored the agency’s steadfast commitment to collaborating with and empowering women.
Abdullahi expressed this commitment during a meeting with a delegation from TECHWOMEN, led by Ms. Binta Mustapha, at the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
Affirming the pivotal role of promoting digital inclusion among women from diverse backgrounds in national development, Abdullahi stated that empowering women aligns with NITDA’s core pillar of “Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talent,” as outlined in the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0.
Highlighting the increasing global demand for a workforce proficient in both basic digital literacy and advanced technological skills, the NITDA boss disclosed ongoing efforts to develop a National Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy. This strategy aims to address the historical dominance of men in previously launched initiatives and strives for a minimum of 40 per cent women representation across all NITDA initiatives, creating an environment conducive for women to thrive in the technology sector.
Abdullahi reiterated NITDA’s commitment to supporting women, citing collaborative efforts with the World Bank to provide digital literacy training. He also emphasised the significance of women’s participation in initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, highlighting partnerships with global tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Coursera and others to build talent and enhance access to digital job opportunities.
“The idea is to build talent and get access to jobs. We are working with different partners both local and international on how this can be propagated and even incorporate it into our mentorship curriculum,” he stated.
In her remarks, Mustapha highlighted TECHWOMEN’s mission to mentor women in various fields, providing them with the knowledge and ideas needed to make positive contributions to the nation’s growth. She emphasised the opportunities given to women in bridging the gender gap, allowing them to showcase their talents and innovative ideas, contributing to solutions and knowledge sharing.
“More women participation is needed in the tech world to contribute their quota to the growth of the nation through job creation and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI),” she added.
NITDA’s commitment to women’s empowerment in the tech sector is evident in these collaborative efforts, signalling a significant step toward fostering gender inclusivity and promoting a diverse and skilled workforce in the digital landscape.
