First Lady urges women to apply ICT skills, mentor others as training programme ends – The Nation Newspaper

Report on the Women ICT Training and Empowerment Programme and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

A collaborative initiative between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) has concluded its 2025 Women ICT Training and Empowerment Programme. This report details the programme’s objectives, outcomes, and significant contributions to achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on gender equality, quality education, and economic growth.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The programme is strategically designed to advance Nigeria’s progress towards key SDGs by leveraging digital technology for social and economic empowerment.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The initiative directly addresses SDG 5 by focusing exclusively on the empowerment of women. By equipping women with critical digital skills, the programme seeks to close the gender digital divide and enhance their economic and social autonomy.

• It promotes the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to empower women, in line with SDG Target 5.b.
• The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, urged beneficiaries to become mentors, creating a sustainable cycle of empowerment that helps other women and girls participate in the digital economy.
• Empowering women economically is recognized as a foundational step toward strengthening families, communities, and achieving a more inclusive nation.

SDG 4: Quality Education

The programme is a significant contributor to SDG 4 by providing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities through digital literacy.

• It supports Nigeria’s national target of achieving a 70% digital literacy rate by 2027.
• The training provides relevant technical and vocational skills for employment and entrepreneurship, aligning with SDG Target 4.4.
• NITDA’s broader strategy includes integrating digital literacy into the national curriculum from early childhood to tertiary education, ensuring sustainable, long-term impact.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By fostering digital skills, the initiative directly supports SDG 8, promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth and productive employment for women.

1. The training equips beneficiaries with skills for content creation, digital marketing, and participation in the gig economy, opening new avenues for remote work and entrepreneurship.
2. This aligns with the national Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims for economic diversification through digitalization and industrialisation.
3. The programme fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, which are critical drivers for sustained economic empowerment and growth.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The programme is a targeted intervention to reduce inequalities by providing marginalized groups, specifically women across various geopolitical zones, with access to digital opportunities.

• It bridges the digital access and skills gap, ensuring that women are not left behind in the nation’s digital transformation.
• By empowering women from diverse regions, it promotes social and economic inclusion, a core principle of SDG 10.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The programme exemplifies the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships as outlined in SDG 17. The collaboration between a government body (NITDA) and a civil society organization (RHI) demonstrates a successful model for achieving development objectives.

Programme Implementation and Statistical Overview

Scope and Expansion

The programme has demonstrated significant growth since its inception, expanding its reach and impact across the nation.

• 2023: The programme was launched with a pilot group of women.
• 2024: Expanded to train 252 young women, with 40 from each of the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• 2025: Further expanded to train 320 beneficiaries across Bauchi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Imo, Edo, and Ondo States, as well as the FCT.

Skills and Competencies Acquired

Beneficiaries were trained in a range of essential digital skills designed to enhance their socio-economic prospects. Core competencies included:

• Foundational digital skills (device and software use)
• Data literacy
• Digital content creation
• Digital marketing
• Online safety and digital citizenship
• Problem-solving using digital tools
• Introduction to the gig economy

Conclusion and Future Mandate

At the closing ceremony, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu designated the beneficiaries as “ambassadors of digital literacy,” charging them with the responsibility of driving digital inclusion within their communities. The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, reinforced this by highlighting that empowering women is crucial for building strong communities and a prosperous nation. The initiative stands as a vital component of Nigeria’s strategy to build a digitally inclusive future, directly contributing to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals through targeted, partnership-driven action.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article highlights several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on the Women ICT Training and Empowerment Programme. The most relevant SDGs are:

   • SDG 4: Quality Education: The core of the article is about providing ICT training and digital skills to women. This directly relates to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities. The article states the program trains women in “essential digital skills aimed at improving their socio-economic prospects.”
   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: The program is explicitly designed to empower women and girls, which is the central aim of SDG 5. The First Lady encourages beneficiaries to “mentor other women and girls,” and the NITDA DG states, “To truly touch lives, we must prioritise women. When we empower women, we empower families and strengthen communities.”
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The training is linked to economic empowerment and employment opportunities. The article mentions that the skills acquired can lead to innovation, entrepreneurship, and participation in the “gig economy,” which aligns with promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all.
   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The initiative promotes digital literacy and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which are key components of building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation. The program is part of a larger national agenda for “economic diversification through industrialisation and digitalisation.”
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The success of the program is built on a collaboration between a government body and a civil society initiative. The article explicitly mentions the program was “jointly organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI),” demonstrating a partnership to achieve common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the activities described, the following specific SDG targets are addressed:

   • Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The program directly addresses this by providing women with practical ICT skills such as “content creation, digital marketing, online safety, problem-solving, and insight into the gig economy.”
   • Target 5.b: “Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.” This target is the central theme of the article, as the entire initiative uses ICT training as a primary tool for the empowerment of women across Nigeria.
   • Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation…” The article connects the ICT training program to the “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to fast-track economic diversification through industrialisation and digitalisation.”
   • Target 9.c: “Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet…” While the article doesn’t discuss internet access directly, increasing digital literacy is a crucial step toward ensuring meaningful use of ICT. The national goal of a “70 per cent digital literacy rate by 2027” supports this target.
   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The program is a clear example of this target in action, being a collaboration between the government’s NITDA and the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

   • Number of beneficiaries trained: The article provides specific numbers that serve as direct indicators of progress. For the women-focused partnership, it mentions “252 young women” in 2024, “a total of 320 beneficiaries” in 2025, and a total of “607 women” who have benefited.
   • Total number of people receiving digital skills training: The article states that NITDA trained “more than 1.1 million Nigerians in various digital skills” between 2023 and 2024, and “510,000 Nigerians” in 2025, which indicates the scale of national efforts.
   • National Digital Literacy Rate: A key performance indicator is mentioned directly: “Nigeria is targeting a 70 per cent digital literacy rate by 2027.” This provides a clear, measurable national goal.
   • Integration of digital literacy into education: The article implies an indicator of systemic change by noting that NITDA is “integrating digital literacy into the national curriculum from early childhood to tertiary education” and that several universities have adopted it as a requirement.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: thenationonlineng.net