GENDER INCLUSION: As part of efforts to strengthen education, health, and social investment through digital innovation and inclusive access to technology, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has emphasized the critical need for gender inclusion in digital literacy programs across Nigeria.
Speaking at the inauguration of Quality Education and Girl Child Initiatives (Luminah 2030), organized by the Federal Ministry of Education at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Inuwa highlighted the transformative role of education in national development. He stressed that empowering women through technology is essential for progress, reinforcing the popular saying: “When you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
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Luminah 2030, a key component of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) for Renewed Hope, focuses on six priority areas: STEM-M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Out-of-School Children, Girl Child Education, Data and Digitalization, and Education Quality Assurance.
Inuwa noted that women make up less than 20% of the STEM workforce in Nigeria, highlighting the urgent need to bridge this gender gap. “Nigeria’s population is nearly evenly split between men and women. Excluding half of the population from digital transformation would be disastrous to our progress,” he warned.
To address this issue of gender inclusion, NITDA has been actively working with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women Affairs to implement gender-inclusive digital programs. These efforts extend beyond formal education, with partnerships such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) initiative, which trains women in markets, religious centers, and motor parks on digital literacy.
The DG emphasized that these initiatives align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision on economic diversification and increased productivity through digital training. The ultimate goal of the gender inclusion initiative, he stated, is to contribute towards making Nigeria a one-trillion-dollar economy by leveraging digital skills and inclusion.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, inaugurated five committees under the Quality Education and Learning program, as well as five committees under Luminah 2030, urging members to carry out their responsibilities with dedication and professionalism.
Also present at the event were the Minister of Women Affairs, H.E. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, among other dignitaries.
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