The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on the Federal Government to incorporate gender and climate justice considerations into Nigeria’s fast-growing digital transformation agenda, warning that neglecting these issues could worsen existing inequalities and limit the participation of vulnerable groups.
Speaking at a press conference at the Bjorn Beckman Hall in Kano, the project leader, Fatima Babakura, said the engagement was part of CITAD’s ongoing initiative, “Green and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda”, supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).
Babakura noted that while Nigeria has made notable progress in digital innovation, data governance, public sector digitalization and digital trade, national frameworks still fail to adequately address the barriers faced by women, girls, persons with disabilities and communities affected by climate change.
He said that discussions at the fourth CITAD webinar, themed “Beyond Connectivity: Integrating Gender and Climate Justice into the Digital Economy Policy Strategy 2020-2030,” underscored that the intersection of gender, technology and environmental concerns “is no longer optional, but a critical necessity for an inclusive and resilient digital future.”
According to her, climate change continues to shape women’s access to technology, digital skills, online safety and economic opportunities, problems made worse by the lack of gender-responsive planning and minimal focus on environmental sustainability within national digital policies.
Babakura added that CITAD’s research and community consultations reveal that feminist and climate justice perspectives remain largely absent in the design, implementation and monitoring of Nigeria’s digital transformation programs.
This gap, she emphasized, leaves many women, especially those in rural and climate-affected regions, unable to fully benefit from digital initiatives.
CITAD therefore urged the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, together with other relevant agencies, to integrate climate and gender justice into all policy documents and regulatory frameworks.
The organization also called for participatory decision-making processes involving groups of women, youth, people with disabilities and climate-affected communities to ensure more inclusive digital governance.
Civil society organizations were encouraged to scale up advocacy and strengthen the capacity of grassroots actors, while development partners were urged to support programs that link digital rights, gender equality and climate resilience.
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