CITAD Launches Project To Bridge Gender Digital Gap

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)has launched a new project aimed at narrowing the gender digital divide and boosting economic opportunities for women across Northern Nigeria.

The initiative, titled: “Addressing the Gender Digital Divide and Expanding Business Opportunities for Women in Northern Nigeria (Agenda-WINNIG),” is designed to equip women and girls with critical digital skills to enable their participation in the evolving digital economy.

Speaking during a series of town hall meetings held across the three senatorial districts of Kano State, the project officer, Fatima Babakura, said the programme would run for 18 months and target beneficiaries in Kano and Bauchi State.

The engagement sessions took place in Rano for Kano South, Bichi for Kano North, and Kano Municipal for Kano Central, drawing participation from community stakeholders, educators, and prospective beneficiaries.

Babakura explained that the project is structured to address the digital skills gap among women and girls by offering tailored training programmes suited to different educational backgrounds.

“The project is designed to reduce the gender digital divide by equipping women and girls with relevant digital skills,” she said. “Its objectives include providing digital training, collaborating with partners to ensure continued learning beyond the project period, and working with stakeholders to explore further opportunities for women in the digital space.”

According to her, the programme will cater to a broad demographic, including secondary school students, women who did not complete secondary education, and graduates, with most participants expected to fall between the ages of 16 and 40.

The curriculum will cover basic digital literacy, online safety, and digital hygiene.It will also feature a training of trainers component aimed at building the capacity of staff and volunteers from partner organisations.

In addition, the project will support final-year secondary school girls with coaching for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), further enhancing their educational prospects.

The Kano zonal education director for Kano Zone, Sunusi Uba, commended the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention.

“When women are digitally empowered, the whole society progresses. This initiative is like planting seeds today for a harvest of knowledge and prosperity tomorrow,” he said.

Uba urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity, noting that the impact of knowledge extends beyond individuals to benefit entire communities.