Inuwa ENGAGES WITH TECHWOMEN DURING IWD, AFFIRMS NITDA’S DEDICATION TO EMPOWERING WOMEN
Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has restated the agency’s firm commitment to partnering with and empowering women to narrow the digital gender gap in Nigeria.
Inuwa conveyed this message during a meeting with a delegation from TECHWOMEN, led by Ms. Binta Mustapha, at the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Highlighting the importance of enhancing digital inclusion among women from various backgrounds for national progress, Inuwa emphasized that empowering women is in line with one of NITDA’s key pillars, “Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talent,” as outlined in the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0.
Acknowledging the growing global demand for a workforce skilled in both basic digital literacy and advanced technological capabilities, the NITDA Director General revealed ongoing initiatives to develop a National Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy aimed at addressing the historical male dominance in previously launched programs.
Inuwa informed the TECHWOMEN delegation of the necessity for a minimum of 40% female representation across all NITDA initiatives to create an enabling environment for women to excel in the technology sector.
Additionally, Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s dedication to supporting women, citing collaborative endeavors with the World Bank to provide digital literacy training for women.
He also mentioned programs like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, stressing the significance of women’s involvement and NITDA’s partnerships with major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Coursera, and others to cultivate talent and enhance access to digital job opportunities.
In his words, “The aim is talent development and job accessibility. We are collaborating with various local and international partners to promote this agenda and integrate it into our mentorship programs.”
The Director General underscored the broader objective of these initiatives – nurturing talent and facilitating job opportunities. He disclosed ongoing collaborations with both local and international organizations to advance these efforts and integrate them into mentorship programs.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Binta Mustapha emphasized that their organization mentors women across different fields to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to make meaningful contributions to the nation’s growth.
She highlighted how providing opportunities for women has helped bridge the gender gap, offering them platforms to showcase their talents and innovative ideas for problem-solving and knowledge sharing.
Ms. Mustapha stressed the importance of increased female participation in the tech industry to contribute to job creation and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for national development.
Source: Techeconomy
