Bridging the Digital Divide to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals’ Outcomes for Nigerian Girls
By Lucy Eyo
Social media advertisers targeting the Nigerian audience could only reach 17.5 percent of girls and women aged 13 to 24 in 2021. On the other hand, advertisers could target 22.7 percent of boys and men aged 13 to 24 with social ads in 2021.
The difference (5.2 percent) might seem little, but when you’re dealing with tens of millions of people, it’s a significant number. And it gets worse – advertisers can reach more men than women in every age range according to that study.
That study is testament to the digital divide between men and women in Nigeria. Here’s what can be done to successfully bridge the digital divide between men and women and hasten the achievement of SDGs for Nigerian girls.
Encourage digital literacy especially in rural areas
Several initiatives including government sponsored, NGO-driven, and corporate-funded digital literacy programs have launched in urban and rural areas. Facebook launched a digital literacy program called “My Digital World in 2021.” The program teaches younger people aged 13 to 18 across sub-Saharan African countries digital skills for safely accessing information online.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), launched a digital literacy program for all states in Nigeria in 2021. Already in its second phase, 20,000 people will benefit by the end of the program.
More women need awareness of these digital literacy programs in rural areas to enable them explore a world of possibilities in tech. Banners, posters, town-hall meetings, and radio announcements are viable media to project existing digital literacy programs in rural communities.
Make digital devices affordable
Digital devices can be expensive, especially for women in rural areas who mostly live below Nigeria’s minimum wage, and on less than one dollar a day. Desktop computers, laptops, and smartphones are pricey.
When women do not know where their next meal is coming from, acquiring a smartphone becomes the least of their worries. The government can help make digital devices affordable by reducing taxes and partnering with smartphone companies to produce lower cost devices. The NITDA’s Director General has pleaded with Africa’s first mobile phone manufacturer Afrione to ‘crash’ its prices so that more Nigerians can access smart devices.
More than making digital devices affordable, encouraging affluent Nigerians to donate their older devices to poorer communities can also ensure that more women get access to tools that will boost their digital skills acquisition journey.
Encourage women to choose digital careers
Women are discouraged from delving into the world of technology but encouraged to concentrate on the family and farm work. Mothers with such ideas often pass it down to their girl child.
Women need digital awareness and free or funded digital skills acquisition training to boost their digital skills and improve their chances of choosing tech careers. Digital apprenticeships also help because some girls like to learn closely from others who have the knowledge or expertise in certain tech niches.
Access to digital jobs without hiring biases is also vital. Organizations can foster such non-bias by encouraging qualified women to apply for their open tech positions.
Empower women financially
The CBN governor recently revealed that the sum of N159.21 billion – almost half of the N349.51 billion sent to beneficiaries of the COVID-19 Targeted Credit Facility went to women. The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (GEEP) has also launched several interest-free loan schemes to empower women.
Other financial empowerment initiatives like low-interest loans and grants are helping women improve their digital skills and digitize their businesses. Financial empowerment will allow previously impoverished girls and women to worry less about food and think of other ways to improve their lives beyond eating well.
Apart from loans and grants, more companies should hire and pay women fairly, whatever their vocation, to help them save money after handling their basic needs. The government has already established some policies to improve female presence in male dominated sectors.
For example, a CBN policy requires banks to have at least a 30 percent female delegation on boards in the banking sector. Younger girls can aspire to reach out to these digital savvy roles when they see older women in such positions. By reaching out for these apex positions, young girls will experience financial empowerment along the way, whether they get there or not.
Technology will become a more powerful tool when men and women can access digital tools freely thereby quicken SDGs results for Nigerian girls.