Rural Women Should Leverage AI For Faster Access To Justice – NIPSS DG

Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof Ayo Omotayo, has called on women to embrace technology and artificial intelligence to revolutionise access to justice for women in rural communities by enabling them to seek legal aid and report discrimination instantly through mobile platforms.

Omotayo, who spoke, yesterday, while delivering a keynote address at the national launch and book launch of the New Dawn for Women and Community Intervention Initiative (NEWOMCII) and book unveiling held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites in Abuja, harped on digital innovation among women.

Speaking on the theme, “Empowering Women and Communities: A Practical Pathway for Transformation and Sustainable Development,” the NIPSS boss said digital innovation must become a major driver of gender equity, community development and inclusive governance in Nigeria.

He noted that mobile technology had already demonstrated its reach through fintech services in rural communities and could similarly be deployed to provide protective and proactive justice for women facing discrimination and exclusion.

“Technology can make access to protective and proactive justice local where mobile platforms allow women in rural areas to seek legal aid and report discrimination instantly,” he said.

Omotayo warned that women must not be excluded from the growing influence of artificial intelligence, urging stakeholders to equip them with the digital skills and tools needed to participate effectively in the evolving economy.

According to him, AI-driven data systems can also help civil society organisations monitor agribusiness performance and connect rural artisans to global value chains.

The NIPSS Director-General observed that although Nigeria is signatory to international frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol, implementation at the grassroots level remains weak.

He argued that real transformation would only occur when international gender agreements are translated into practical realities within local government areas and rural communities.

Omotayo proposed the establishment of “Cities or Communities for CEDAW,” a framework under which local governments would voluntarily adopt global gender equity standards into their planning and governance structures.

He also called for stronger collaboration among local government chairmen, traditional rulers and community institutions to make women’s access to land, credit and economic opportunities more practical.

The NIPSS boss further disclosed that the institute, through the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Gender Centre of Excellence, was organising a national competition to assess states on gender neutrality and inclusive governance.

According to him, states would be evaluated based on women’s representation in decision-making structures, gender-responsive infrastructure planning and the integration of gender neutrality into local laws and administrative processes.

Omotayo urged stakeholders to move beyond advocacy to implementation, insisting that women should be seen as strategic economic assets rather than vulnerable groups, adding that, “When we invest in a woman, we are not just performing a social good; we are making a high-yield economic investment”.

Earlier, founder and chairman of NEWOMCII, Bolaji Raji, said the organisation was established in response to the lack of opportunities and support systems available to many women and youths at the grassroots.

According to him, NEWOMCII was created to drive practical empowerment and demand-driven capacity building through agribusiness, arts, creative enterprise, skills acquisition and community interventions.

“At the heart of our work is a belief I hold strongly: when women are empowered, families thrive and communities progress,” he said and noted that the organisation was seeking collaborations with government agencies, private sector players, development partners and the media to expand its impact across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Also speaking, National Coordinator of NEWOMCII, Sa’adatu Bokane Adamu, said the organisation focuses on agriculture, agribusiness, creativity, arts and crafts, sectors in which women play critical roles in national economic development.

She said the initiative had, within a short period, impacted several women groups and communities through interventions in health, education, mobility, safety planning, humanitarian services, training and capacity building.

“With our operational presence across Nigeria, we are determined to replicate these interventions in all regions of the country,” she said.