The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) warned that achieving gender equality in the digital space could boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product by more than 50 percent. Director‑General Kashifu Inuwa made the statement on Friday at the closing ceremony of NITDA’s “Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al‑Umma” digital skills programme in Abuja, a project carried out in collaboration with the World Bank and Natview Technology. The programme, designed to equip young women with the skills needed to thrive in the digital world, was part of the agency’s activities to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Inuwa cited research from the McKinsey Global Institute, which found that gender parity could raise global GDP to about US$18 trillion by 2025. When the study’s focus was narrowed to a few countries, including Nigeria, it projected that gender equality could add US$299 billion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2025. “Within our mandate to implement the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, we are pursuing many initiatives,” he said. “One of them is the National Digital Skills Strategy, in which the World Bank is a key implementation partner. Under that strategy we aim for 95 percent digital literacy and to position Nigeria as a global talent factory.”
Referring to research by Korn Ferry, Inuwa noted that a worldwide talent deficit of 85 million people is expected by 2030, potentially resulting in US$8.5 trillion of unrealised annual revenue. He explained that deploying a gig‑economy strategy—leveraging information technology for remote and freelance work—could help Nigeria capture a share of that revenue. Skills such as content creation and digital marketing enable entrepreneurs to promote their businesses on digital platforms. “If Nigeria can position itself, we can join the global value chain, working remotely for European, US and Asian companies,” he said. “Programs like this will help us achieve that.”
The DG also highlighted new initiatives aimed at increasing female participation and digital literacy. Since November 2022, NITDA has trained 226 000 young Nigerians in various digital skills, but women accounted for only 28 percent of those trained. The agency’s goal is to reach 95 percent digital literacy by 2030, beginning with the pilot “Gina Mata” programme that trained 800 young women.
Natview Technology’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nuradeen Maidoki, explained that “Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al‑Umma” translates to “Building Women, Empowering Communities.” He said the initiative aims to create a pipeline of highly skilled female technologists who can drive innovation and growth in Nigeria’s technology sector. “By empowering young women with digital skills, we can build a more inclusive and diverse tech industry that reflects the richness of our society,” Maidoki said, adding that an additional 600 young women from Borno, Gombe, Kano and Zamfara will be trained.
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