2400 Nigerian girls with digital skills to be equipped with grant from UK

In the next three months, 2,400 Nigerian girls will be equipped with basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills thanks to a grant from the United Kingdom government, which will be administered by Cybersafe Foundation through the DigiGirls Digital Empowerment program.

Confidence Staveley, Founder, Cybersafe Foundation, said at the program’s opening ceremony in Lagos that the DigiGirls Digital Empowerment programme, which is a training and mentorship program for girls across Nigeria, was designed to provide basic and intermediate digital skills to girls in the country.

According to her, at the end of the three-month training program, the beneficiaries will be equipped with digital skills such as Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Data Analytic, and Graphic Design, among others, allowing them to find gainful employment both within and outside of Nigeria.
“Reducing the digital gender divide in Nigeria has become an urgent matter; a recent USAID report shows that over 90% of jobs worldwide have a digital component, and without these skills, women are automatically disadvantaged and lack the confidence to participate in the digital workforce.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to close the digital gender gap, which is causing unemployment/underemployment of women and girls, particularly among the underserved and vulnerable in our communities,” Staveley explained.

She explained that after only a few days of opening the application process for the training program, over 12,000 applications were received, with 2,400 being shortlisted for training.

Staveley explained that only 10% of the shortlisted candidates would be learning on-site in the Lagos and Kaduna hubs, while the remaining 90% would connect online from various locations across the country.

“We will provide free basic to intermediate digital skills and soft skills training, mentorship, internship, and job placement to our beneficiaries through this program,” Staveley added, thanking the UK Government for co-designing and funding the DigiGirls program through its Digital Access Programme.

Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated in her opening remarks that the UK is committed to being a global science and technology partner, collaborating with others to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, including digital skills.

“In Nigeria, science, technology, and innovation offer opportunities for long-term economic transformation, not least through the vibrant tech sector.” The United Kingdom is confident in Nigeria’s digital sector’s future growth story. “The United Kingdom is collaborating with the Nigerian government to promote and drive the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, primarily through our Digital Access Programme, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub Network, and the West Africa Research and Innovation Hub,” Laing said.

Speaking about the UK government’s commitment to DigiGirls training, Laing stated that the UK would support Nigeria in its audacious goal of creating 100 million jobs in ten years, and that the digital economy can play a significant role in achieving this.