The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has revealed that, if reports are anything to go buy, younger female entrepreneurs in Nigeria are more educated than their male counterparts.
Director-General, NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, who made this disclosure in his goodwill message to the Women Entrepreneurs and Executives in Tech Summit (WEETS) 2024 in Lagos, yesterday (Friday, September 27), said he had also seen reports that showed that 52.2 percent of younger female entrepreneurs has at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 42.8 per cent for males.
Represented by the Head, Innovation and Digital Inclusion, NITDA, Engr Falilat Jimoh at the this year’s edition of WEETS with the theme: “AI Leadership: Navigating The Future of Women in Business,” Inuwa said that this trend of female entrepreneurship must be sustained.
Daily Query reports that this trend aligns with the national tertiary school enrollment where more women appear to be enrolled in universities and other tertiary institutions than males.
Moreover, males generally, especially in the southern part of the country, are more likely to opt for business early rather than go to school, than their female counterparts who are more likely to either get married or go to school at an early age.
Inuwa pointed out that women entrepreneurs play very vital roles in job creation, innovation, poverty reduction and human development.
“According to another report, the 2023 State of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria report, 46 per cent of startups in Nigeria are led by females.
“This same report also shares that 43 per cent of businesses are female-led, an increase from 39 per cent in the 2022 report.
“NITDA believes that women are one of the biggest cornerstones of many economies, another cornerstone being youths.
“NITDA recognises the importance of innovations and how imperative it is for women in business to be empowered with the necessary skills,” he said.
According to Inuwa, in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2024 – 2027 (SRAP 2.0), it has a pillar dedicated to promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services.
He said: “We have a focus on 40 per cent women participation in all our capacity and skills development initiatives.
“NITDA remains committed to accelerating national progress through a more digitally enabled economy and we believe that the involvement of women plays a vital role in advancing the development of Nigeria’s tech sector.
“Programmes such as our Digital Literacy for All (DL4All) initiative, supports our vision of making Nigeria a digitally empowered nation.”
According to him, the Agency will continue to support the inclusion of women in the Nigerian digital economy, adding that this is because women create and inspire future technology leaders who would continue to transform the Nigerian tech ecosystem.
Inuwa noted that, according to the Global Gender Gap Report of 2023, women make up 30 percent of the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) workforce.
The director-general added that the same report also shared that women account for 39 per cent of all workers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), noting that, to gainfully participate and reap the benefits presented by Nigeria’s digital economy, women must be empowered with the relevant digital skills that would help them impact their communities.
He said that it is equally important that they are cognisant of the opportunities that exist in utilising AI and other related technologies, explaining that AI is being integrated into many products and services that are used.
That means that AI has a place in every sector of the economy, the NITDA DG added.
According to him, Forbes says that the AI market size is expected to reach $407 billion by 2027, up from an estimated $86.9 billion in revenue in 2022.
The director-general said that it could add up to $13 trillion by 2030, and NITDA could leverage this by engaging diverse sectors and promoting entrepreneurship in women.
In her welcome address, the Convener of WEETS, Ms Ugochi Emmanuel, said that at the heart of the summit is the unwavering mission of the WEETS Foundation to empower women and girls.
Emmanuel said the Foundation has continuously sought to bridge the gap between women and the digital economy, enthusing that the Foundation has bridged the gap by equipping women with advanced digital skills, mentorship and opportunities to thrive in the tech world.
Emmanuel pointed out that while the event was a celebration of the achievements of women in tech, it also came as a call to action, stressing that the future is brimming with opportunities for women to lead in AI and business.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that these opportunities are seized and expanded.
“As we continue with today’s discussions, I encourage you to think big, challenge the status quo and build lasting partnerships that will accelerate the impact of women in the tech space,’’ the WEETS convener said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), WEETS 2024 is a platform that seeks to highlight opportunities available for women/girls by bridging the digital divide while expanding new ideas on ICT and telecommunications.
It aims at positioning them to effectively play a formidable role in the Nigerian tech space.
