Inuwa Pledges Support for Women in Tech
0
0
Inuwa Pledges Support for Women in Tech
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reiterated the agency’s dedication to empowering women and narrowing the digital gender gap in Nigeria during a meeting with a delegation from TECHWOMEN, led by Ms. Binta Mustapha.
Inuwa underscored the importance of empowering women in national development, stating, “Empowering women aligns with one of NITDA’s core pillars, ‘Fostering Digital Literacy and Cultivating Talent,’ as outlined in the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0.”
Highlighting the global demand for a workforce proficient in digital literacy and advanced technological skills, Inuwa disclosed ongoing efforts to develop a National Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy aimed at addressing the historical dominance of men in previous initiatives.
READ ALSO: Joy, Praises as MOK Foundation Distributes Food Items to 5000 Offa Residents, Others
He emphasized the necessity for a minimum of 40% women representation across all NITDA initiatives to create a conducive environment for women to thrive in the technology sector.
Inuwa also shared NITDA’s commitment to supporting women, citing collaborative efforts with the World Bank to provide digital literacy training.
Additionally, he mentioned initiatives like the 3 Million Technical Talent programme and partnerships with global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Coursera, and others to enhance access to digital job opportunities for women.
In his words, “The idea is to build talent and get access to jobs. We are working with different partners both local and international on how this can be propagated and even incorporate it in our mentor curriculum.”
In her remarks, Ms. Binta Mustapha emphasized their organization’s role in mentoring women across various fields, providing them with the knowledge and ideas necessary for positive contributions to the nation’s growth.
She highlighted the opportunities given to women, stating, “The opportunities given to women have aided in bridging the gender gap, providing them with the platform to showcase their talents and innovative ideas towards solution findings, bringing about ideas and knowledge sharing.”
Mustapha stressed the need for increased women participation in the tech world to contribute to job creation and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the nation’s growth.
