The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has emphasized the importance of gender inclusion in digital literacy programs across Nigeria, stated that empowering women through technology is crucial for national development.
Inuwa made this assertion while delivering a goodwill address at the inauguration of the Quality Education and Girl Child Initiatives (Luminah 2030), organized by the Federal Ministry of Education at the Federal Secretariat Complex. The initiative is part of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) for Renewed Hope, focusing on six key areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences (STEM-M), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Out-of-School Children, Girl Child Education, Data and Digitalization, and Education Quality Assurance.
The Luminah 2030 initiative is aimed at tackling the challenge of out-of-school children, with a strong emphasis on empowering young girls through education and digital skills. Inuwa highlighted that achieving gender parity in technology and STEM fields would foster wealth creation and economic prosperity.
“When you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” Inuwa said, stressing that women currently make up less than 20% of the STEM workforce. He added that excluding women from the digital economy could be detrimental to national progress.
The NITDA boss disclosed that the agency has been working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women Affairs to implement gender-inclusive digital programs. He also revealed that digital literacy initiatives are being extended beyond formal education to the informal sector, including training for women in markets, religious centers, and motor parks in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
These initiatives, he noted, aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of diversifying Nigeria’s economy through digital transformation, with the ultimate goal of making Nigeria a one-trillion-dollar economy by leveraging digital skills and inclusion.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, formally inaugurated five committees under the Quality Education and Learning Initiative and another five under the Luminah 2030 initiative, urging members to approach their responsibilities with dedication and professionalism.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, among others.
