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The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has trained 551 women, girls and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in digital literacy, online safety and digital hygiene across eight local government areas of Kano State in a single week.
The seven-day training, held from August 10 to 16, was organised under CITAD’s ongoing two-year Addressing the Gender Digital Divide and Expanding Business Opportunities for Women in Northern Nigeria (Agenda-WINNIG) project.
The project, which is currently ongoing in Kano and Bauchi states, is supported by the Gates Foundation through CARE under the SheConnects Digital Accelerator.
The training was conducted in Gaya, Minjibir, Takai, Makoda, Albasu, Gwarzo, Kiru and Tarauni local government areas, with participants drawn from communities across the locations.
Sixty persons with disabilities were among those trained, according to CITAD.
The programme focused on equipping participants with basic computer and mobile phone skills, as well as practical knowledge needed to use digital devices safely and productively.
It also introduced participants to local digital hygiene concepts, including what CITAD described as “Na’ura Tsaftacecciya”, while providing practical guidance on protecting personal information and maintaining safer digital habits.
The training further focused on online safety, with participants taught safe internet practices, including how to identify online scams, recognise suspicious online activities, protect personal information and make informed decisions while using digital platforms.
Speaking on the programme, the Project Manager, Fatima Babakura, said the training was part of CITAD’s continuing efforts to close the digital gap affecting women, girls and other underserved groups.
She said the project would not stop with the current beneficiaries, adding that CITAD would continue taking the training to communities across all 44 local government areas of Kano State.
“The project is a two-year project and it is still ongoing. We will continue to take the training to communities across the 44 local government areas of Kano State so that more women, girls and persons with disabilities can acquire the skills they need to participate meaningfully in the digital space,” Ms Babakura said.
She said expanding digital literacy was important because many women and girls in rural communities continued to face barriers to education, employment, entrepreneurship and access to information.
According to her, digital skills could enable women and girls in rural communities to access online learning, digital markets, remote work opportunities, e-commerce, digital financial services and other economic opportunities.
For persons with disabilities, Ms Babakura said digital technology could serve as an important equaliser by reducing some of the barriers created by inaccessible physical environments.
She said the training was therefore designed not only to teach participants how to operate computers and mobile devices but also to build their confidence and ability to use technology safely and productively.
CITAD said limited access to digital skills remained one of the factors widening the digital divide, particularly among women, girls, persons with disabilities and people living in underserved communities.
The organisation said the situation was more pronounced in rural communities, where geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, safety concerns and social barriers could restrict access to conventional education and economic opportunities.
It said digital training could help rural girls overcome some of these barriers by giving them access to online education and information without necessarily having to travel long distances.
The organisation also noted that digital skills could help women expand small businesses through digital marketing, e-commerce and mobile banking, while creating opportunities to access wider markets and customers.
CITAD said the training’s focus on online safety and digital hygiene was intended to help participants navigate the growing digital environment while reducing their exposure to scams, privacy violations and other online risks.
The organisation said ensuring that women, girls and PWDs were not left behind in the digital transformation was essential as technology continued to influence education, employment, communication, business and everyday life.
The Agenda-WINNIG project is aimed at addressing the gender digital divide and expanding business opportunities for women in Northern Nigeria.
CITAD said the latest seven-day training formed part of its broader and ongoing activities to promote digital inclusion and create a safer, more productive and inclusive digital environment across Northern Nigeria.
