By Idris Khalid Bauchi
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has taken a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and empowering women in Northern Nigeria. The organization recently engaged stakeholders in Bauchi state in a digital literacy skills training, inclusion, and empowerment program for young women between the ages of 18 to 35 years.
According to CITAD's Gender Project Officer, Zainab Aminu, the program is part of the AGENDA-WIN project, which aims to address the gender digital divide and enhance business opportunities for women in Northern Nigeria. "We have been to Kano, Jigawa, and today we are in Bauchi, next week we will be in Yobe state. These are the four selected implementation states that we are going to be carrying out the program," Aminu explained.
The stakeholders' training, held at the Command Guest House in Bauchi, aimed to get the support of all stakeholders in the state to help mobilize young women to participate in the digital literacy training. The program also seeks to sensitize young women and the public on the importance of digital skills. Aminu emphasized that the project aims to address barriers that exclude women and girls from accessing digital opportunities, fostering equitable economic development in Nigeria.
"The world is moving towards digitalization, so women need to be involved in digitization, especially for economic development," Aminu said. "We want stakeholders to support us in creating awareness through the mobilization of young women from the grassroots areas of the state so that they can participate in this digital literacy program."
Aminu noted that women have been marginalized in exploring opportunities in the digital world, including employment opportunities, job creation, and online businesses. "That is why we are training women so that they can utilize these digital spaces to promote economic resilience and reduce poverty within our states," she added.
The Galadima of Bauchi, Surveyor Ibrahim Sa'idu Jahun, assured the traditional institution's support for the program's successful implementation. "We in the traditional institution will make sure that we support the program to the highest level of implementation," he said.
The Deputy Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Bauchi state, Mr. Adamu Sarki, commended CITAD for organizing the training for stakeholders. "We commend the effort of CITAD for this training because the gender digital divide is one of the impediments for women empowerment in Nigeria, especially in this era of digital economy," Sarki said.
Sarki further stated that Bauchi state is suffering from developmental issues, particularly in the area of low literacy levels among women and digital divide. "Without women being empowered digitally, they cannot cope with trends going on in the world. We thank CITAD for the foresight and are happy that Bauchi is among the four states included to benefit immensely from the project," he added.
Tags
Empowerment