Natasha Champions Digital Inclusion For Women

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has emphasised that the future of women’s leadership in Nigeria hinges on deliberately documenting their stories today.

Speaking at the WikiGap Nigeria Symposium 2026 in Abuja, she called for stronger documentation of women’s achievements and pledged a monthly donation of one million naira to support a writing competition aimed at digitally preserving the stories of notable Nigerian women, past and present.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted that the marginalisation of women in knowledge systems directly limits their participation in power structures.

“When women are invisible in knowledge, they are excluded from power. That is why WikiGap is not just a project… it is a movement to correct historical silence,” she said.

The senator pointed out the paradox facing Nigerian women leaders, innovators, and change makers whose impacts often remain undocumented.

“Across Nigeria, women are leading, innovating, and transforming communities. Yet too many of their stories remain undocumented, their contributions unrecognised, and their impact undervalued. What is not recorded is often forgotten… and what is forgotten is rarely rewarded,” she noted.

She emphasised that initiatives like WikiGap go beyond filling informational gaps.

“By creating and improving articles about notable Nigerian women, WikiGap is advancing rights, strengthening justice, and expanding opportunity. Visibility is power. When women are seen, they are heard. When they are heard, they are supported. And when they are supported, they succeed.”

Reflecting on her own journey in Nigeria’s political arena, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke candidly about the structural and cultural barriers women face, underscoring the resilience required to navigate such challenges.

“Our stories matter, our struggles matter, and our victories must not go undocumented. The future of women in leadership depends on how well we preserve and amplify these narratives today,” she asserted.

She also challenged journalists, writers, and digital contributors to reshape narratives about women.

“Women must not only be the subjects of knowledge… they must be its creators. We must encourage more Nigerian women to write, to edit, and to own their narratives in the digital space,” she added.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan pledged one million naira monthly to fund a writing competition dedicated to documenting authentic stories of remarkable women.

“Let us be intentional. Let us document boldly. Because every story we preserve is a step toward equality. When we write women into history, we write them into the future,” she said.

The symposium, organised by Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, provided a platform to address gender disparities in digital knowledge systems.

It featured panel discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions to increase women’s representation in online knowledge repositories.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s intervention was widely regarded as a defining highlight of the symposium, inspiring renewed commitment and introducing a sustainable model of support through her monthly funding pledge.

As conversations from the event continue, participants expressed optimism that the outcomes will advance efforts to ensure women are recognised, documented, and celebrated in both historical and digital records.

“When women are written into history, they are projected into the future,” concluded the senator—a statement that now serves as both a challenge and a promise.