The Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, warned that Nigeria’s digital transformation plan does not meet the needs of women, girls, and communities already impacted by climate change.
Speaking at a briefing in Kano, CITAD stated that growing national digital policies still fail the most vulnerable people.
Project Lead Fatima Babakura, speaking for the Executive Director, said CITAD’s recent findings show that key policy documents lack gender and climate justice viewpoints.
She stated that combining gender, technology, and the environment is now essential for an inclusive and strong digital future in Nigeria.
She explained that new frameworks for innovation, data, and digital trade often ignore how climate change affects women’s tech access, skills, safety, and economic chances.
She noted that these oversights are worsened by poor gender-responsive planning and minimal visibility of environmental issues in digital governance.
She revealed that their research shows feminist and climate justice views are mostly absent in the design and execution of national digital policies. Women in rural and climate-affected areas still struggle to access digital tools, participate in decisions, and benefit from Nigeria’s digital economy.
She concluded that without deliberately adding gender and environmental factors, digital transformation might increase existing inequalities and limit technology’s potential for resilience and development.
The organization called for action from government, civil society, donors, and the media.
It urged the Federal Ministry of Communications to prioritize integrating gender and climate justice into all digital frameworks.
Babakura also asked policymakers to use inclusive methods that involve women’s groups, youth, people with disabilities, and climate-affected communities in policy creation.
She added that development partners should back projects linking digital rights, gender equality, and climate resilience, and the media should focus on the issues faced by marginalized groups in Nigeria’s digital space.
Babakura added that as Nigeria moves toward a digital society, it must choose a path that lifts everyone, stating that adding gender and climate justice to digital policy is necessary for national stability, social unity, and long-term progress.
CITAD reaffirmed its dedication to supporting a fair and sustainable digital future.
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