CITAD Launches Agenda-WINNIG to Bridge Gender Digital Gap in Northern Nigeria

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has launched a new initiative aimed at closing the gender digital divide and boosting economic opportunities for women across Northern Nigeria.

The project, titled Addressing the Gender Digital Divide and Expanding Business Opportunities for Women in Northern Nigeria (Agenda-WINNIG), is designed to equip women and girls with digital skills needed to actively participate in the digital economy.

Speaking during a series of town hall meetings across Kano State, the project officer, Fatima Babakura, said the 18-month initiative would focus on Kano and Bauchi states.

The sensitisation meetings were held in Rano (Kano South), Bichi (Kano North), and Kano Municipal (Kano Central).

Babakura explained that the project aims to provide digital training, foster partnerships for sustained learning beyond its duration, and create pathways for women to access broader opportunities within the digital space.

She noted that the training programmes are tailored to different categories of participants, including secondary school students, women with incomplete secondary education, and graduates, with most beneficiaries expected to be between ages 16 and 40.

According to her, the curriculum will cover basic digital literacy, online safety, and digital hygiene—locally known as Na’ura Tsaftacecciya. The project will also feature a Training of Trainers component for partner organisations, as well as UTME coaching support for final-year secondary school girls.

In a goodwill message, Sunusi Uba, Kano Zonal Education Director for Rano Zone, commended the initiative, noting that empowering women digitally would drive societal progress.

He urged participants to fully utilise the opportunity, stressing that knowledge acquisition remains key to innovation and long-term development.