First lady urges digital literacy for women

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu on Friday in Abuja, reiterated the importance of digital literacy and its role in fostering economic independence amongst women.

The First Lady said this at the closing ceremony of the Renewed Hope Initiative RHI/NITDA Women Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Training Empowerment Programme for 35 women across the Federal Capital, Abuja.

Oluremi, who presented the women with a grant of N100, 000 and new laptop each, at the Presidential banquet hall at the end of the programme said: “these skills are indispensable tools for driving growth and innovation.

“Also, the importance of digital literacy and its role in fostering economic independence cannot be overemphasised.

“In a world driven by technology, these skills empower women to take control of their lives, contribute to their communities and seize opportunities.

“As we celebrate the successful conclusion of this programme, I extend my congratulations to all participants. You have exhibited resilience, determination and a hunger for knowledge that will undoubtedly set you on a path of success.”

Earlier, the Director-General (DG) NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi commended the first lady for giving the beneficiaries the opportunity and access to learn, network, gain tools and financial support to start up.

He thanked the first lady for using her pet project to help women, children and the vulnerable Nigerians.

”The participants, your daughters who are graduating today are taking home five major lessons.

“They are all equipped with digital literacy and ICT proficiency, empowered to safely and responsibly use digital platforms; they also master digital marketing to be able to use social media to sell their products and services.

“They are also enlightened on how to be part of gig economy; they learnt skills on how to work remotely and earn money and how to use productivity tools.

“The first lady has agreed that NITDA collaborate with Renewed Hope Initiative to craft a national digital gender inclusion strategy in order for the women to benefit from digital economy as their male counterpart.’’

He also said that NITDA would further collaborate with RHI to sponsor more women to be digitally resilient.

Similarly, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, pledged to work with RHI in ensuring that the training is extended to millions of women across the country.

He said the programme was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for women inclusion and empowerment among others.

“Our mother, the first lady, your unwavering commitment to empowerment and progress has charted the cause for change for all the members of this cohort.

“This is a programme that we hope we can partner with you on to actually scale significantly; I’m a big believer in the fact that we have to empower women because women are empathetic.

“When you have women around you, it is about the good for people and not for egos, this is why the role you are playing in the society with the initiative Ma is very important.

The minister also acknowledges the DG of NITDA and his team for their role in bringing the programme to fruition.

He further said that the positive roles that women are playing in the society are also fundamentally good for the development and growth of every society.

“By empowering women, we unlock the unique creativity and innovation that can enrich every aspect of our lives.

“It is well documented that when we provide women with equal access to education resources and opportunities, it becomes architect of positive change, changing the trajectory of economy progress, social harmony and sustainable development.

“This programme represents a critical step in this direction; it also aligned with two priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the first one being the investment in the digital economy to empower Nigerian with new skills.’’

Some of the participants described the training as an eye opener, innovative and of a great asset to their lives.

Mr Mayowa Ajiboye, lead facilitator said the power of digital tools and connectivity through the trainings also broke the boundaries of what the participants thought it was impossible.

One of the beneficiaries, Miss Nkiru Ogbuli, a graphic designer expressed her gratitude to the first lady for keeping her promise of empowering women.

She explained that the programme has expanded her orientation and given her the opportunities she never knew existed.

Another beneficiary, Promise Ogbuehia a makeup artist said the training is not only beneficial but also the people she would return to teach in order to impact them also.

Her Excellency Sen. Oluremi in her congratulatory speech congratulated the participants and applauded both the NITDA DG and his team of facilitators for the success of the training.

The women are the pioneer set of participants from the programme, a collaboration between RHI and NITDA.