First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Celebrates 252 Women Graduates of ICT Training Program, Calls for Digital Empowerment
By Trek Africa Newspaper
In a bid to bridge the digital gender gap and empower Nigerian women with vital ICT skills, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, honored 252 women who graduated from the Women ICT Training and Empowerment Programme, a collaboration between the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Speaking at the closing ceremony, the First Lady emphasized that equipping women with digital skills is essential for success in today’s technology-driven world.
“These skills are indispensable tools for driving growth and innovation,” said Tinubu. “In a world driven by technology, these skills empower women to take control of their lives, contribute to their communities, and seize opportunities.”
The First Lady commended the graduates for their resilience and commitment, describing their determination as an asset that will guide them on a path to success. She also expressed gratitude to NITDA and its Director General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, for their dedication to addressing Nigeria’s digital divide. Tinubu noted that this program aligns with the national goal of gender equity and economic development.
In his remarks, Mallam Abdullahi highlighted the importance of digital literacy in Nigeria’s economic growth, noting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedication to economic diversification. “If we bridge the gender gap, we can empower women and potentially increase our GDP by 20%,” he said. He outlined NITDA’s “Digital Literacy for All” initiative, which aims to achieve 95% digital literacy across Nigeria by 2030, targeting training for 30 million Nigerians, particularly women.
Abdullahi further detailed a new curriculum developed in collaboration with the Minister of Education, set to integrate digital literacy into formal education by next year. As part of this initiative, NITDA will produce 17,760 digital literacy champions annually from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program. Each champion is expected to train at least 60 Nigerians monthly, with a projected reach of 11 million people per year.
The program’s participants received training in essential digital skills, including software operations, data management, and content creation, equipping them to be leaders in their communities and active contributors to Nigeria’s digital future.
Media Contact
Busola Kukoyi, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media to the First Lady of Nigeria
Date: Friday, 8th November 2024
