The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), has organised a two-day digital literacy and capacity-building workshop for spouses of members of the House of Representatives.
The initiative, themed “Empowering Women for a Digital Future: Leadership, Wellbeing, and Opportunity,” is aimed at equipping participants with skills required to navigate the evolving digital economy and the demands of public life.
Focus on digital skills, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity
According to NITDA, the programme goes beyond basic computer literacy to cover financial and digital literacy, cybersecurity, digital wellbeing, and economic empowerment.
Participants were trained on leveraging digital tools for business growth and personal finance management, protecting data and ensuring online safety, as well as exploring opportunities in remote work, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and digital entrepreneurship.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said the initiative recognises the critical role spouses play in supporting public office holders.
He noted that legislative duties often place significant pressure on family life, adding that empowering spouses with leadership and digital skills would strengthen their ability to provide informed support and constructive feedback.
Kalu urged participants to maximise the opportunity, stressing that continuous learning is essential in a fast-evolving digital environment.
Alignment with FG’s digital economy agenda
In his welcome address, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, said the workshop aligns with the Federal Government’s broader strategy to build an inclusive and sustainable digital economy.
He referenced the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which places digitalisation and innovation at the centre of economic diversification and inclusive growth.
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA is implementing a national digital literacy framework targeting 95% digital literacy by 2030.
The strategy is anchored on three pillars: integration of digital skills into formal education, upskilling public servants, and expanding community-level digital inclusion.
According to him, more than 54,000 public servants are currently enrolled in NITDA’s digital literacy programmes, while community champions across the 36 states and the FCT are driving grassroots digital skills training.
He added that digitally literate spouses of lawmakers can positively influence governance outcomes, particularly as the country advances efforts to digitise legislative and public sector processes.
Women’s role in digital transformation
In her goodwill message, the Leader of HORSA and wife of the Speaker, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, described the workshop as the first comprehensive capacity-building initiative organised by the 10th Assembly for spouses of lawmakers.
She noted that public life in the digital era extends beyond physical engagements to online platforms, making digital literacy, cyber protection and financial knowledge essential.
Hajiya Abbas highlighted the importance of sessions focused on mental health, emotional resilience, entrepreneurship and leadership, noting that spouses of public office holders often shoulder significant but less visible responsibilities.
She added that empowering women economically strengthens families and communities, while enhancing their contribution to national development.
Stakeholder participation
The event featured goodwill messages from senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim; the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake Abdulrazaq; Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Stanley Olajide; Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara; and the Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Offiong Akpabio.
The workshop forms part of ongoing efforts to deepen digital inclusion and strengthen leadership capacity across key segments of Nigeria’s governance ecosystem.
