Summary:
- Maida spoke about the importance of Nigerian girls keeping up with technological advancements to shape the future workforce.
- He highlighted the gender gap in the ICT field and stressed the need to promote ICT careers among young girls and women.
- The NCC Chief emphasized the need for greater female participation in ICT careers to help bridge the digital divide.
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has urged Nigerian girls to stay abreast of evolving technology trends and strive for excellence to shape the future workforce.
Maida, represented by Nnenna Ukoha, Deputy Director and Head of Corporate Communication at NCC, spoke at the 12th edition of the Int’l Girls in ICT Campaign organised by eBusiness Life Communications Limited which held in Lagos last Thursday.
While highlighting the persistent gaps in the ICT field, Maida emphasized the importance of promoting careers in ICT for young girls and women, noting their significant representation in the global population.
He also noted that seeking their perspectives and input in shaping technology standards is essential for fairness and equity and emphasized that investing in girls is investing in the nation’s future.
Maida highlighted the diverse and lucrative career paths within the ICT sector, spanning software development, data analysis, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, noting that encouraging greater female participation in ICT can narrow the digital divide, ensuring equal access to opportunities in the digital age.
“The ICT sector offers exciting and well-paid career opportunities, from software development to data analysis, cybersecurity to artificial intelligence, the opportunities are endless.
“By encouraging more girls and women to enter the ICT field, we can help bridge the digital divide and ensure that everyone has equal access to the opportunities of the digital age,” Maida opined.
He also urged young women to embrace the opportunities offered by the Federal Government’s 3MTT initiative.
This initiative aims to empower young Nigerians by providing technology career opportunities in fields such as AI/Machine Learning, Data Analysis & Visualization, User Interface (UI), User Design (UX), and more.