The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on policymakers, private sector actors and development partners to pursue a more inclusive, gender-responsive and environmentally sustainable approach to Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Speaking at a press briefing, CITAD’s Project Lead Officer, Fatima Babakura, said the organization is advancing advocacy through its Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda Project, supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).
She noted that Nigeria’s digital progress is often measured by infrastructure and innovation, but these indicators “do not fully show who benefits and who is left behind.”
Babakura explained that political and economic decisions largely determine access to digital opportunities, with rural communities, women, persons with disabilities and people in conflict-affected areas facing persistent exclusion. She identified key barriers such as high costs of devices and data, language limitations, safety concerns, and weak participation in policy processes.
“Digital transformation must be socially inclusive, environmentally friendly and grounded in justice,” Babakura said, stating that women’s exclusion from the digital economy is driven by limited access to tools, high data costs, online harassment, cultural restrictions and policies that fail to reflect lived realities.
She stressed that inclusion must go beyond connectivity to include safe online spaces, skills development, mentorship and culturally responsive strategies.
The briefing also highlighted funding disparities in the digital economy, with women-led and community-based initiatives struggling to access capital, while larger, well-resourced actors dominate innovation spaces.
Limited Assistive Technology
Babakura said that persons with disabilities remain excluded due to inaccessible infrastructure, limited assistive technologies and poor representation in planning and governance.
CITAD further warned of the environmental impact of digital expansion, including electronic waste and resource exploitation that often affect vulnerable communities.
The group called for climate and environmental justice to be integrated into digital policies and urged policymakers to embed equity, gender justice, disability inclusion and sustainability into Nigeria’s digital framework.
The organisation also appealed to development partners, the private sector and the media to support inclusive initiatives and continue spotlighting issues of access, power and exclusion, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s digital future benefits all segments of society.
Lateefah Ibrahim