Closing digital gender hole in Nigeria might unlock $13bn GDP development – NITDA DG

The Nigerian government through the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has harped on the importance of empowering woman in the country.

According to the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, women empowerment is crucial for inclusive and gender-neutral socio-economic development.

He noted that closing the digital gender gap in Nigeria could unlock an estimated US$13 billion in Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth over the next decade.

Abdullahi spoke in Abuja on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Cohort of the IgniteHer Bootcamp organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA.

The event also had the presence of the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, and JICA country representative, Mr. Yuzurio Susumu.

“According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s female population stand at about 108 million, almost half of the country’s population,” Abdullahi said.

“Hence, empowering the Nigerian woman is crucial for inclusive and gender-neutral socio-economic development of our country.

“According to a report by the World Wide Web Foundation, closing the digital gender gap in Nigeria could unlock an estimated US$13 billion in Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth over the next decade.”

This training is a step towards harnessing this economic potential and ensuring that women play an integral role in shaping the digital landscape of Nigeria. This will lead to increased income-generating opportunities, digital literacy, and improved economic well-being of the female gender as envisioned in the National gender digital inclusion strategy, NGDIS.

“Women entrepreneurs are not just business owners. They are job creators, economic drivers, and problem-solvers who are creating sustainable solutions to societal challenges.

“Yet despite their energy and ingenuity, structural barriers—limited access to capital, skills gaps, exclusion from critical networks, and uneven digital literacy—continue to constrain their full participation.”

Speaking at the event, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, expressed Japan’s commitment to empowering Nigerian women through enhancing their technical and financial skills, strengthening business models, and fostering networking among them.