Telecom
ICT Regulators, Others Reiterate Need to Encourage GIrls in ICT
Information and communication Technology (ICT) stakeholders have reemphasized need for more girls to take up ICT skills so as to remain employable in the ever evolving ICT environment.
They disclosed this at the International Girl-in-ICT day event, organised by eBusinesslife Communications Limited, held in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) urged the girl child not to let her gender be a limitation but rather, an asset that will enable her achieve whatever she set out to do.
Danbatta represented by Mrs Iyabo sholanke, Director of Projects, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that it’s imperative that we empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of Information and communication Technology (ICTs) so as remain employable in a male dominated field.
According to him, “Indeed your gender should never be a limitation for you but rather an asset.
“This is even truer of women who are natural leaders, planners, administrators and strategic thinkers.
“That is why in the modern world we have great women doing great things, Today, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of face book as well, CEO IBM, CO-CEO Oracle are all women.
“In Nigeria women are making great waves in the ICT sector, the CEO of Main One Cable, Funke Opeke is a woman.
“Your race and your gender are not limiting factors to your capacity and the potential role you can play in the digital space today”
Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) stated that its time for the girl child to embrace the needed skills to compete in this 21st century labour market, noting that the current environment is different from the 1990s.
Represented by Dr Falilat Jimoh, Department of information technology infrastructure Solution, NITDA, Pantami noted that supporting the girl child is one cardinal role of the agency in building a knowledge base society.
According to him, “We have made deliberate and continuing efforts at improving the capacity of government to deliver on its mandate.
“By promoting government digital services, we are opening up grand opportunities for young innovators to help government agencies solve their IT based problem.
“We have given concessions to female applicants for our graduate internship scheme (GIS) training aimed to train Nigerian youths on geo-political zones basis.
Pantami assured that with the requisite skills, Nigerian girls can chart their own causes, build sustainable businesses and even solve national problems.
He noted that they are committed to providing platform that would unleash the creative genius of the girl child in order for them to reach the pristine heights they dream to attain.
“We are committed to providing the platform that would unleash the creative genius of our ‘GirlForce’, in order for them to reach the pristine heights they dream to attain.
“We have been striving hard to reverse the exclusion of many Nigerians from the digital revolution going on.
“We realized that women and girls have somewhat been excluded from the ongoing IT revolution.
“This is most obvious in the rural areas where culture, poor infrastructure and low-literacy has increased the digital divide,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Mrs Ufuoma Emuophedaro, Convener Girls in ICT and Publisher, E-Business Life Communication Limited, said that international girls in ICT day is an initiative of the international telecommunications union aimed to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girl and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs.
She explained that this initiative will counter the chronic global decline in the number of female ICT students.
Emuophedaro noted that it is estimated that within the next 10 years, there will be more than 2 million technology jobs that cannot be filled because of lack of qualified ICT specialist.
She stressed that this predicted global shortfall could be bridged if concerted efforts are made to empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs.