As part of renewed efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s education and social investment sectors through digital innovation, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has stressed the critical need for gender inclusion in the country’s digital literacy programmes.
Speaking at the Inauguration of Quality Education and Girl Child Initiatives (Luminah 2030), organised by the Federal Ministry of Education at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Inuwa emphasised the role of inclusive access to technology in driving national development and fostering equitable educational opportunities.
The Luminah Girl Child Initiative, under the broader Quality Education and Learning Outcomes Programme, is a central pillar of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) for Renewed Hope. It focuses on six critical priority areas, including STEM-M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences), TVET, Out-of-School Children, Girl Child Education, Data and Digitalization, and Education Quality Assurance.
Inuwa, in his goodwill message, underscored the importance of empowering girls and women through digital skills, stating:
“When you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
He noted that women currently represent less than 20% of the STEM workforce, a disparity also reflected in Nigeria. He warned that excluding half of Nigeria’s population from digital opportunities would be detrimental to national progress.
“In Nigeria, our women’s population is almost equal to the men’s population. So imagine leaving 50 percent of your population excluded in what you do, that’s going to be disastrous to us as a nation,” he added.
The NITDA boss revealed that the agency is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to implement gender-inclusive digital programs. Under the leadership of the Minister of Education, efforts are underway to embed digital skills and literacy in Nigeria’s school curricula, from primary schools to tertiary institutions.
Beyond the formal education sector, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA is expanding digital literacy initiatives to informal settings, collaborating with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train women in markets, religious centres, and motor parks on basic digital skills.
He reaffirmed NITDA’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to diversify Nigeria’s economy and boost productivity through intensive digital training.
“Our goal is clear, our resolve is stronger than ever, and we believe working together with the Ministry of Education, Women Affairs, and our Ministry will help us to infuse digital skills and literacy in whatever we do,” Inuwa concluded.
At the inauguration, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, formally launched five committees under the Quality Education and Learning Programme, along with five committees under the Luminah 2030 initiative. He urged committee members to embrace their responsibilities with dedication, professionalism, and a strong sense of purpose.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Women Affairs, H.E. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, among others.
