WorldStage Newsonline– The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said that it is developing a National Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy to address gender gap in the tech ecosystem.
The Director-General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, said this on Monday when a delegation from TECHWOMEN, led by Ms. Binta Mustapha, paid him a working visit in Abuja.
Inuwa said that digital inclusion among women would help in bridging existing gap in the tech ecosystem to enhance national development.
“Empowering women aligns with one of NITDA’s core pillars, which is Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talent, as outlined in the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0.
“We are making efforts to develop a National Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy, aimed at addressing the historical dominance of men in previously launched initiatives.
“This is highly needed because there is the increasing global demand for a workforce proficient in both basic digital literacy and advanced technological skills,’’ he said.
The director-general emphasised the need for a minimum of 40 per cent female representation across all NITDA’s initiatives, to create a conducive environment for them to thrive in the sector.
According to him, the agency is collaborating with the World Bank to provide digital literacy training for women.
He also mentioned initiatives, such as the Three Million Technical Talent programme, emphasising the importance of women participation.
“ NITDA is collaborating at the global level with Google, Microsoft, Coursera, and others to build talent and enhance access to digital job opportunities.
“We are working with different partners both locally and internationally on how this can be propagated and even incorporated into our mentorship curricula.’’
Earlier, Ms Mustapha said that TECHWOMEN mentored women in various fields to provide them with the knowledge and ideas needed to make positive contributions to the growth of the nation.
She said, “opportunities given to women have aided in bridging gender gap, providing them with platform to showcase their talents and innovative ideas towards solution, bringing about ideas and knowledge sharing.
“More women participation is needed in the tech world so as to contribute their own quota to the growth of the nation through creation of jobs and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).’’
