CECAD spurs women to tap into growing possibilities of digital technology

Women in Nigeria were on the 30th of August, spurred to tap into the endless and growing possibilities of digital technology to grow and develop their businesses at the Nigerian Women Digital Agenda Summit, held at Oriental Hotels. The event was put together by Center for Cyber Awareness and Development, CECAD.

They were strongly encouraged to be deliberate and more intentional to make the best use of digital opportunity available to them, leverage on it, step up and step forward into modern technology and knowledge for their uplifting.

Statistics show that there are more women in the world than men. Similarly, there are also more women in Nigeria than men, this makes it critical for them to harness digital technology to not just grow their enterprises, but also to develop themselves in order to bridge the knowledge gap between them and men, and help them contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s sustainable growth and development.

This is because “women in places of leadership have shown more credibility than men” According to Francisca Nnanna, a speaker, given their significant percentage in Nigeria’s population, being relegated will hinder the achievement of the country’s developmental chart.

“Digital technology will help anybody not just a woman. But women have a better advantage because if there are stereotypes around their lives, if there are cultural issues and language barriers, the digital technology gives them leverage and they can interact anywhere. So it is a clarion call for them to come in now and get it right. Whoever you are and whatever you do, you will actually get something doing with digital opportunity,” said Omowunmi Hassan, president and CEO, High-Tech Center:

Hassan told Women’s Hub that the biggest inhibiting factor for female engagement in digital technology had always been self and that discovering their true identity would help them make a difference.

“Many people will tell you, it’s my husband, it’s my children, but I think I it’s yourself because if you discover who you are, you realize that you can make a lot of difference in your bedroom or when you are asked not to go out. Once you have a mobile phone and it’s something you do Facebook on, then you are already in the world. Self could only be the only problem you can have not to explore what you have to get what you need. We just need to come out of that self, break the barriers and tell yourself you can do it if others are doing it,” she said.

“Any woman can do it irrespective of your age, culture religion. So many women have proven that there is no barrier and there is no barrier,” she further adds.

According to the president, CECAD, Bayero Agabi, by configuration, women are better placed to ensure that Nigeria attains her developmental goals. Nigeria’s population is more of women than men, “so if you are planning development and you exclude her, where are you going?”

“So we need women to contribute in terms of skills, knowledge, administration and innovation to ensure that we can maximize the gains of this new world of digital technology. Women use more phones that men, but what do they use those phones for?

“We are here to enlighten women to use digital technology to build their enterprise, their businesses, and also manage their homes because as we have found out, children these days are smarter than their parents, so when you have children who are smarter than you using the computer and a smart phone, there is no way you can curb that child without knowing more than your child,” he explained.

Desmond Okon