The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with NATVIEW and the World Bank, recently completed a pilot digital skills development programme called Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma.
The programme designed to identify, prepare and connect disadvantaged girls and young women with emerging skills in the knowledge economy, also integrates gender-intentional learning outcomes focused on technical training, soft skills and right-based learning for young women interested in the tech ecosystem.
The four-day event in Abuja was part of activities to celebrate International Women’s Day.
In his remarks at the closing ceremony, the director-general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, noted that the training programme, which is geared towards creating potential economic opportunities and increasing livelihoods through the gig economy, is in line with the agency’s mission to place Nigeria on the path to attaining 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, in alignment with the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020–2030.
The director-general recognized the fact that women are underrepresented in the technology sector and stated that programs like the Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma programme aims to bridge the gap by providing young women with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the digital economy.
The director-general also thanked the World Bank for driving the initiative and the implementation partner, NATVIEW Technology, for delivering quality digital skills development programmes.
Abdullahi urged all the young women who participated in the training to take full advantage of the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the digital economy and Nigeria’s development. He reiterated NITDA’s commitment to ensuring that the entire citizenry is empowered with information technologies through the development of a critical mass of proficient and globally competitive IT manpower.
According to him, NITDA remains poised to actualise its mandate through strategic and inclusive stakeholder management, local and international partnership and efficient utilisation of resources in the interest of Nigeria.
The executive director of NATVIEW Technology, Nuradeen Maidoki who welcomed everyone to the closing ceremony, described the programme being implemented by Natview Technology as part of the firm’s contribution towards driving digital literacy and skills across Nigeria.
During the four-day launch, 200 young women were selected to participate in the digital content creation training. Beyond the digital content creation training, these young women also received skills training that will enable them to participate in the gig economy, creating a platform for them to earn income from home.
Maidoki said the goal of the programme is to train and equip at least 800 girls and young women with digital skills and competencies to be globally competitive in the remote workplace. The pilot launch focuses on training 200 women around digital content creation and marketing while in the future, an additional 600 young women will be integrated from four northern Nigeria states (Borno, Gombe, Kano and Zamfara) with high FCV cases.
In conclusion, the Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma programme is a commendable initiative by NITDA, NATVIEW and the World Bank to bridge the digital skills gap and empower young women to participate in the digital economy.
The programme’s focus on integrating gender-intentional learning outcomes and creating potential economic opportunities through the gig economy is a step in the right direction towards achieving Nigeria’s goal of attaining 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, Maidoki said.
