The drive to close Nigeria’s gender digital divide gained fresh momentum as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) sealed a partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to advance women’s digital inclusion and strengthen the nation’s transformation agenda.
The collaboration was formalized during a courtesy visit to NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, by a NAWOJ delegation led by National President Comrade Aishatu Ibrahim, who introduced the agency to the forthcoming Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit & Awards 2026.
Represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholders Management and Partnerships, Inuwa pledged NITDA’s active participation and support for the landmark summit.
He praised NAWOJ for creating a platform that fosters peacebuilding, dialogue on security, and women’s inclusion—areas he described as central to NITDA’s National Gender Inclusive Strategy.
“Inclusivity is the key to everything we do at NITDA. We clearly defined that 40 per cent of our programmes must recognise the issue of gender. We ensure that women are adequately represented and positioned to benefit greatly from the programmes that we organise in the agency. We graciously accept to participate actively in that conference,” Inuwa affirmed.
He further emphasized that beyond the summit, a sustained partnership with NAWOJ would unlock opportunities for women across Nigeria to access digital literacy and skills.
“Apart from acquiring skills among journalists themselves, partnership with NAWOJ will also serve as a platform through which we can reach out to various women’s groups across the federation,” he added.
Earlier, Comrade Ibrahim lauded NITDA’s leadership, describing the agency as a catalyst for Nigeria’s digital economy.
She explained that the WINSEC Summit & Awards 2026 is designed to promote collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, technology experts, the media, and other stakeholders to tackle contemporary security challenges.
According to her, the initiative will also spotlight individuals and institutions excelling in security, governance, and innovation, while fostering dialogue on the role of technology in building a safer, more resilient Nigeria.
“We deeply appreciate your exemplary leadership, passion for innovation, and unwavering commitment to building a digitally empowered Nigeria. We respectfully invite the agency to partner with NAWOJ in making this landmark initiative a success.
“We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with NITDA that will empower women journalists with cutting-edge digital skills, support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development,” Ibrahim stated.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the meeting would lay a solid foundation for a rewarding partnership with clearly defined objectives to support digital inclusion and strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.