Nigerian Government reiterates commitment towards mainstreaming women tech entrepreneurs

The Nigerian Government has reiterated its commitment towards mainstreaming women tech entrepreneurs into the nation’s digital innovation and technology development.

The Director General of , Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA Kashifu Inuwa who stated this said no stone would be left unturned in achieving an all inclusive digital Nigeria.

Inuwa in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Female Tech Founders Training programme at the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, NCAIR, Abuja, Nigeria , lamented the low level participation of women entrepreneurs in technology innovation and development.

He said NITDA in conjunction with the NCAIR have packaged some programmes across the country in alignment with the 8 Pillars identified by the Federal Government to boost women participation in technology innovation, acquisition and development.

Inuwa who was represented at the event by the Acting Director of Digital Literacy and Capacity Development of NITDA, Dr Amina Samba Magaji said it was however encouraging that over 7,000 Women Tech Founders registered to participate in the training programme within two weeks.

“I am delighted to stand before you today as we embark on a transformative journey. In just two weeks, our call for the Female Founders Training resonated across our great nation, yielding an extraordinary response with a staggering 7,151 applications pouring in from all 36 states.
This overwhelming interest underscores the untapped potential and enthusiasm that exists among our women in the field of technology,” he said.

According to the NITDA boss, the programme was designed to advance women in technology, create platforms for them to network and pool resources together to improve their businesses.

He explained that the programme would go beyond the training to focus on how wealth and employment opportunities could be created in the technology industry with the full participation of women technology entrepreneurs in the ventures.

Inuwa said those who were successful in the selection process from the six geopolitical zones of the country, would be empowered to also pass the knowledge acquired to others in the overall interest of the country.

Inuwa said:”Over the next two weeks, our mission encompasses identifying and showcasing innovative tech-based ideas and solutions developed by Nigerian females.

“We aim to promote and support these tech-based ventures founded by women, contributing to the closing of gender gaps within the tech ecosystem. Furthermore, our commitment extends to promoting and supporting digital job creation for females, a crucial step towards fostering inclusivity and equality.

He added that “this program aligns seamlessly with two priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda: the investment in the digital economy to empower Nigerians with new skills and sustain jobs, and the drive for women empowerment to champion equity and parity across every facet of our lives”.