The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has highlighted that women’s exclusion from Nigeria’s digital economy is not coincidental but stems from deep-rooted structural barriers embedded in policies, culture, and access to resources.
Fatima Babakura, Project Lead for the Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda, disclosed this on Wednesday, the 4th of February, 2026, during a press briefing.
According to Babakura, while Nigeria’s digital transformation is often praised for expanding infrastructure and fostering innovation, it has largely overlooked how opportunities and influence are distributed across society.
She emphasized that “digital inclusion should go beyond access to the internet and include safe environments, skills development, mentorship, and policies that support women’s full participation.”
“Digital inclusion must extend beyond connectivity to include enabling and safe spaces where women can participate confidently,” Babakura added.
The project lead also highlighted persistent funding gaps, noting that women-led and community-based digital initiatives frequently encounter difficulties in securing financial and institutional support. She stressed that “women’s exclusion from the digital economy is structurally produced through limited access to digital tools, high data costs, online harassment, cultural restrictions, and policy frameworks that fail to reflect lived realities.”
Babakura further explained that women, particularly in rural and conflict-affected regions, face multiple hurdles such as poor connectivity, lack of devices, safety concerns, and exclusion from decision-making processes. She reiterated that digital inclusion must encompass not only internet access but also supportive policies, mentorship, and safe environments that enable full participation.
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CITAD called on policymakers to revise digital policies to ensure that gender justice, disability inclusion, and environmental sustainability are integrated at every stage of implementation.
The organization also urged development partners, private sector players, and civil society groups to actively support women-led and inclusive digital projects. “Central to addressing these challenges is the role of advocacy. Inclusive digital transformation does not occur automatically; it requires deliberate engagement, sustained pressure, and accountability mechanisms that challenge exclusionary systems.
Civil society organizations, community technology hubs, the media, policy activists, and advocacy networks play a critical role in amplifying marginalized evidence, and pushing for policy reforms that redistribute opportunity, more voices, generating equitably.”
CITAD concluded with a cautionary note: a digital transformation that leaves women behind cannot be considered successful.