First Lady Advocates Increased Digital Literacy Among Nigerian Women and Youths

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday called for increased digital literacy among Nigerians, particularly women and youths.

Mrs. Tinubu spoke at her office in the State House in Abuja while virtually inaugurating 10 Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI)/National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) digital learning centres across 10 states of the federation.

Mrs. Tinubu said the sustained advancement of digital literacy is already driving inclusive growth and creating new opportunities for learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the country.

A statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, said the new digital learning centres are located in Abia, Delta, Edo, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Yobe, and Zamfara states.

The facilities are designed to expand access to digital skills training and empower communities to participate productively in the growing digital economy.

“I urge members of the various beneficiary communities to make good use of these facilities to enhance learning, creativity, and entrepreneurship. By doing so, we can improve livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to national development”, the First Lady said.

She noted that the inauguration reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s commitment to economic diversification and digital transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mrs. Tinubu said the initiative aligns with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s mandate to expand digital access and inclusion across the country.

“The nation is looking forward to the full actualisation of digitising various sectors, such as farming and petty trading, which would ultimately improve the ease of doing business and enhance profits,” the First Lady added.

The NITDA Director-General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described digital transformation as critical to accelerating economic diversification and development.

“This signifies unlocking potentials across various sectors, especially among women and youth,” he said.

The NITDA DG hailed the RHI for its collaborative role in empowering Nigerians and driving national prosperity.

Wives of governors from the 10 benefitting states joined the event virtually from their locations.

The inauguration added to the growing list of digital empowerment projects executed by the First Lady through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

According Abdullahi, NITDA has so far established 296 digital centres under the Tinubu administration — 15 of them in partnership with RHI — and plans to build an additional 148 before 2027, bringing the total to 592 centres nationwide.

In Zamfara State, the governor’s wife and RHI State Chairman, Hajiya Hurriya Dauda Lawal, joined the First Lady virtually for the inauguration of the digital learning centres.

Speaking in Gusau, the state capital, Hajiya Lawal said: “This impactful project under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) is not just about technology and computers; it is about empowering our youth, bridging the digital divide and opening new doors of knowledge and innovation to the good people of Zamfara and beyond.”

She noted that through the e-library, students, teachers, researchers, and the wider public would have access to a world of information, resources, and opportunities at their fingertips.