Gender gap in digital governance threatens inclusive development – CITAD

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised concerns over the low representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions across Nigeria’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector, warning that the gender gap in digital governance could undermine efforts to achieve inclusive digital development.

In a statement issued to DAILY POST by its Gender Coordinator, Fatima Babakura, CITAD said findings from its research on women’s participation in digital policymaking revealed that women occupy only a small proportion of leadership positions in key ICT institutions responsible for shaping Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

The organisation noted that the findings, published in its study titled A Head Count on Women Participation in Digital Policy Making in ICT Related Agencies in Nigeria, showed that women’s representation in the boards and management structures of major ICT agencies remains significantly below the aspirations outlined in Nigeria’s National Gender Policy.

According to CITAD, the gender digital divide extends beyond access to digital technologies and also affects participation in spaces where digital policies are developed, negotiated and implemented.

“Policies developed without adequate representation of women risk overlooking perspectives and experiences that are essential for inclusive and effective digital development,” the statement said.

The organisation made the observations while welcoming the recent initiative by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at promoting women’s leadership within Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, describing the move as an important step towards addressing gender disparities in digital leadership and decision-making.

CITAD recalled that in 2023, it implemented the Incubating Young Female Digital Policy Leaders for Engendering Digital Policy Making in Nigeria project to address the underrepresentation of women in digital policy formulation and leadership structures across the country’s ICT ecosystem.

Under the initiative, young women received training in digital policy analysis, advocacy, internet governance, telecommunications policy, digital rights, cybersecurity, data governance, artificial intelligence and digital inclusion to strengthen their participation in digital policymaking processes.

The organisation stressed that leadership development programmes alone would not be sufficient to address gender imbalances in the ICT sector, arguing that sustainable progress requires institutional reforms that remove barriers preventing women from advancing into decision-making positions.

It called for the adoption of a national gender digital inclusion agenda, increased representation of women at board and management levels, institutional gender policies, regular gender audits, leadership development programmes and stronger accountability mechanisms across ICT institutions.

CITAD further urged policymakers, regulators, development partners and private sector actors to move beyond commitments and establish measurable targets for women’s participation in digital governance, accompanied by regular monitoring and transparent reporting mechanisms.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with government institutions, civil society organisations, academia, development partners and the private sector to promote evidence-based and gender-responsive digital governance that ensures no one is left behind.