*Photo L-R:Hajia Aminat Yasid representing the Director, University Education Department, Ministry of, middle-Prof Ganiyat ADESINA-UTHMAN, WIDEN Principal Investigator, Nigeria and right-NOUN Deputy Vice Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research, Prof. Christine Ofulue representing the Vice Chancellor.*
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in collaboration with Brunel University London has moved to close the digital gap among women with Women in Digital Empowerment Network (WIDEN) Workshop, a project funded by the British Council.
A Professor of Economics at NOUN, Ganiyat A. Adesina-Uthman, stated this on Friday during the official presentation of WIDEN outcomes at Old Senate Chamber of the University.
The Principal Investigator for WIDEN said the programme funded by the British Council had the vision to disseminate the findings from their gender analysis and need assessment survey.
She said, “We started with baseline research, and then moved to mapping out-who are those that we want to be our targeted audience? Women.
“The survey gathered insights from over 550 respondents, predominantly young women in Nigeria, to understand their technological skills, career aspirations, and the barriers they face. Addressing inclusion of Women with Disabilities: Most respondents reported no disability, 13.7% identified as having a physical or sensory impairment, underscoring the need for accessible and inclusive program design.
“The British Council wants us as a group to investigate and then recommend policy implications of women and women with disabilities being excluded in the digital sector, especially in the tech world and particularly in Nigeria where the “Techbros” are dominating. WIDEN is breeding new crops of Techladies.”
In his remarks, the Programme Consultant, Dr. James David Eladlu, who facilitated disability inclusion in the programme, said as the world is moving, digitalization is very key to every aspect of disability life.
He noted that Artificial Intelligence has come to reshape many things.
He said, “This project is really going to bridge a lot of gaps in the digital space, especially for women and women with disabilities.”
He commended the initiators of the project, saying that the digital divide is almost bridging.
Speaking, Professor Christine Ofulue, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research, NOUN, who represented the Vice Chancellor, said the programme is bridging the gap between women and men in terms of their participation in the digital environment context.
She urged more women to join, saying that what is needed to be done is to market it and to disseminate the programme widely.
Dr. Angela Irene, the Chief Officer of Open and Distance Learning from the National Universities Commission (NUC) said the programne is timely for Nigeria in particular and for Africa as a whole.
She said, “We have to uplift women because women play a huge role in society. It is said that when you train a woman, you train your own nation. So, women have a really good role to play in society, either in remote areas, villages, anywhere in Africa.”
She said the NUC had interest in the programme because of its existing framework.
Abdulkarim Faussiyat, one of the participants and a PhD student said the workshop had boosted her research activities.
She said, “In my personal office, it has boosted my ICT expertise. So, it’s a very good programme which has broadened my horizons very well.”
Faussiyat urged the participants to take every bit of the WIDEN programme seriously.
In his vote of thanks, Prof, Sami Ayodele, a member of WIDEN team, thank the British Council, The Principal Investigator Nigeria (Prof. Ganiyat A. Adesina-Uthman) and the United Kingdom (Dr. David Botchie), the Vice Chancellors of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) and other partners for their great support to the success of the workshop.