A major push to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide is under way as the Niger Delta Initiative (NDI), in partnership with STEM Africa and Women Our Voice Our Votes (WOVOV), has kicked off an expansive digital skills training programme for women and youths across 10 northern States.
Speaking during a two-day engagement with journalists in the North, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of NDI, Dr Akpoguma Okuoimose, said the initiative was conceived to equip participants with the technological competencies needed to thrive in an increasingly digital economy.
She noted that hundreds of young women had already turned out in Kaduna, Gombe, and Kebbi states, where multiple training centres “came alive with energy” as participants began hands-on sessions led by experienced facilitators.
According to Dr Okuoimose, the programme is designed not merely as a capacity-building effort but as a strategic intervention to foster economic resilience and inclusion. “Empowering young women with practical digital skills is essential to building a more inclusive, vibrant, and economically secure society,” she said.
In Kaduna State, Day 2 of the ongoing training saw impressive attendance across approved centres. Participants engaged in practical sessions on essential technology tools, with trainers guiding them through real-time applications that enhance digital literacy and job readiness.
The momentum continued in Gombe, where the digital skills programme officially launched with “vibrant participants commencing their learning journey”, according to NDI’s CEO. The initiative, she said, is positioning young women for emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital sector.
Kebbi State was the latest to join the rollout, hosting multiple centres where trainees began exploring foundational and intermediate digital skills. Dr Okuoimose described the expansion as “a bold step forward” in ensuring that more young women across the North gain access to competencies that will shape their future economic prospects.
Reaffirming her long-term vision, she stressed that digital empowerment for young women is “not just a project, but a transformative mission”, one aimed at strengthening community economies and closing long-standing gender gaps in technology access.
With training now active across several northern states and more centres expected to open, the Niger Delta Initiative says it remains committed to widening digital inclusion nationwide. The programme, stakeholders say, is laying the groundwork for a generation of women and youths capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s evolving tech-driven landscape.