SDN, YAF want Digital Gender Gap bridged in Niger Delta

…calls for state-based Digital Policy in Akwa Ibom, Niger Delta States

By Imó Etim

Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), a Non-Governmental Organization with a background of 20 years of supporting communities in the Niger Delta with environmental and transparency issues, in partnership with Youth Arise Foundation, want a bridge in the Digital Gender Gap in the region.

In a policy roundtable on Tech/ICT reforms in Akwa Ibom State, held on December 5, 2024 at the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo, SDN highlighted that with funding from the European Union, a research carried out in 4 out of the 9 Niger Delta states revealed that women in the Niger Delta are less likely to be online than men, but much more likely to be online than the average woman in Nigeria.

The research further revealed the issue of affordability of devices and internet as the top barrier faced. It shows that women face more barriers to digital life than men, as other factors intersect with gender, pointing out that women have fewer digital skills than men, especially in areas that could help earn a living.

Ifeoma Ndekwu, Deputy Programme Manager of SDN and Project Lead– “Reducing The Digital Gender Gap in the Niger Delta”, noted that data have revealed the need for Akwa Ibom State to develop its own inclusive state-based ICT policy that will meet the 21st-century demands in the tech space.

“ We’ve conducted this research on the Digital Gender Gap in the Niger Delta, to show us what data says, and the state of what digital gender gap looks like, we have shared the findings with various stakeholders here. The key thing we are advocating is for Akwa Ibom State to develop its own state-based ICT policy that is inclusive and gender-friendly,” Ndekwu stressed.

The Project Lead added that the increased number of men than women in the tech industry was not peculiar to the Niger Delta or Nigeria, but a global thing, expressing worry that with Nigeria as a developing country, was experiencing notably high number compared to other developed countries.

She added that the choice of using Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States in the research was based on the consideration of these states being the largest economies in the region to represent what goes on in the other states, with which a mixed method data collection was used with a sample size of 9600.

The key objective of the research according to Ndekwu is to help states government, policymakers design evidence-based solutions to ensure women and girls can participate in digital life, and to use such data as a baseline in any given interventions they intend to design.

Dr Uduak Akpan, Project Director for Youth Alive Foundation Africa, the implementing partner for the EU project in Akwa Ibom, noted that over 500 women have so far been trained in market-driven digital skills in State, adding that to achieve such change at a macro level, partnerships with government and other stakeholders are required to have more women embrace the digital industry.

Dr Daniel Bob-Manuel, Deputy Admin and HR Manager at SDN, earlier in his remarks, noted that technology is not only a tool but a catalyst for transformation that reshape industries and drives development, stressing that acquiring digital skills has transcended a realm of advantage to become a necessity, particularly for for women aspiring to advance in their workplaces and economy in general.

Bob-Manuel said that SDN is at the forefront of making efforts in addressing gender disparities in the Niger Delta, fostering sustainable and inclusive development, adding that it is not just a training but empowerment.

Other recommendations made by SDN include: addressing issues of affordability considered a major barrier to accessing technology by supporting the local market for devices, internet expansion, increased awareness and skills, and integration of specific initiatives for women and girls, as well as increased uptake of digital solutions from the government to wider economy.

The event was well attended by CSOs, major players in the tech industry in the State, government representatives from related MDAs and policymakers including Honourable Uduak Ekpo-Ufot, Member representing Etinan State Constituency who Chairs the House Committee on Science and Technology in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.