Bridging the Digital Divide: Women Leading the Future of Tech

Usman Binta

Founder and CEO, USBIN WOMEN INITIATIVE

&

Loretta Ota Ahuokpeme

Founder & CEO, Amaclare Connect & Development Initiative

Despite Nigeria’s growing digital economy, women especially in underserved and rural communities remain disproportionately excluded from access to digital skills, technology, and leadership opportunities. Barriers such as limited access to devices, low digital literacy, socio-cultural constraints, and economic inequality continue to widen the gender digital divide.

Usbin Women Initiative and Amaclare Connect & Development Initiative recognize that empowering women with digital skills, leadership capacity, and access to technology is critical to inclusive national development.

This collaboration leverages the strengths of both organizations to foster women-led digital transformation, innovation, and economic empowerment across Nigeria.

Initiative goals/Objectives

(a) Increase Representation of Women in Tech: Equip at least 200 women in Nigeria with the necessary tech skills to secure employment, start tech businesses, or pursue further education in tech fields.

(b)Develop Female Tech Leader: Establish mentorship and leadership programs that nurture at least 200 women to take on leadership roles in tech companies, startups, or community tech initiatives.

(c )Provide Access to various ICT site/ educational platform: Ensure women in Nigeria have access to technology tools/ICT and educational platforms.

(d)Foster Entrepreneurship: Encourage and support women to start and scale tech-based businesses that contribute to the local economy.

(e)Raise Awareness and Advocacy: Increase public awareness of gender equality in tech, focusing on the benefits of diverse teams and inclusive innovation.

Target Audience:

100 Women & 100 girls

• Female students enrolled in ICT programs at universities and colleges.

• Young women with an interest in pursuing careers in technology.

• Early-career female professionals seeking to enhance their ICT skills.

Strategies:

• Partnerships: Collaborate with universities, tech companies, and non-profit organizations to provide support in online training.

• Community Building: Create a supportive and inclusive community for female students in ICT.

• Visibility and Advocacy: Promote the program and advocate for increased representation of women in the tech industry.

• Sustainability: Develop a sustainable funding model and build capacity to ensure the program's long-term impact.

Project Activities:

1. Tech Skill Training:

To Partner with tech organizations to provide training in coding, data science, digital marketing, use of AI for various activities, web development, and other in-demand tech skills.

To Provide free or subsidized access to training for at least 200 girls/women.

To Use online platforms and physical hubs to ensure accessibility.

2. Mentorship Programs:

To Pair participants with female tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from Nigeria and abroad to provide guidance, career advice, and technical support.

To Organize monthly mentorship sessions, both online and in-person.

3. Tech Career and Entrepreneurship Development:

To Host job fairs, internships, and recruitment drives specifically for women trained in tech.

To Organize entrepreneurship workshops and provide seed funding or business grants for women-led tech startups.

4. Advocacy and Community Engagement:

To Launch a media campaign (social media, radio, TV) to raise awareness about the importance of women in tech and highlight success stories.

To Conduct community outreach and workshops to engage local communities in discussions about gender and digital inclusion.

Item Estimated Cost (US DOLLAR) Details

1. Program Coordination & trainers fees, Stipend for project coordinators, trainers, and admin staff for 6 weeks. $400

2. Training and Education, Cost of tech training materials, online platforms, and instructor fees. $200

3. Mentorship Program, Honorarium for mentors, online platforms, and logistics for meetings. $100

4. Equipment & Resources, Laptops, internet infrastructure, and setting up online training $250

5. Career and Entrepreneurship, Job fair organization, internships, and small grants for women-led startups. $150

7. Monitoring & Evaluation, Surveys, interviews, and impact assessments. $100

8. Miscellaneous, Transportation, logistics, contingency. $50

Total 1,250 Total Estimated Budget