NITDA’s IgniteHer Bootcamp: Lighting the Torch of Women’s Digital Empowerment in Nigeria
NITDA’s IgniteHer Bootcamp: Lighting the Torch of Women’s Digital Empowerment in Nigeria
By Matthew Eloyi
In a nation striving to secure its place in the global digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has once again proven itself as more than a regulator—it is a visionary force shaping the future. With the launch of the second cohort of the IgniteHer Bootcamp for Women Entrepreneurs, NITDA is not just ticking boxes under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR; it is blazing a trail for inclusive, technology-driven economic growth.
This is not a token gesture to gender inclusion. This is a calculated, strategic, and high-impact intervention that recognises a truth too often ignored: Nigeria cannot fully unlock its economic potential while half of its population remains underrepresented in the digital space. By equipping women entrepreneurs with advanced digital skills, innovation management expertise, and investor readiness, NITDA is engineering a shift that could redefine our entrepreneurial landscape for generations.
Under the astute leadership of Director General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, NITDA has consistently aligned its programmes with national priorities. IgniteHer is a vivid embodiment of its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0: 2024–2027), which puts inclusive growth at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation. NITDA’s vision to empower 12.7 million Nigerian women with digital literacy skills by 2027 is not just ambitious, it is transformative. Imagine the ripple effect: from small businesses flourishing in rural communities to global startups emerging from Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, the impact will be felt across every sector.
The economic logic is indisputable. A World Wide Web Foundation report estimates that closing the digital gender gap in Nigeria could add $13 billion to our GDP within a decade. IgniteHer is NITDA’s deliberate step towards seizing that opportunity, turning statistics into real-world success stories.
What makes NITDA’s approach even more remarkable is its mastery of partnerships. By collaborating with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and benefiting from Japan’s $30.9 million grant support for Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, NITDA demonstrates an understanding that the future of technology is collaborative. This is not a one-off training session; it is part of a broader ecosystem where ideas are incubated, innovation is nurtured, and entrepreneurs are mentored into global relevance.
The praise from partners and facilitators is telling. Japanese Ambassador Matsunaga Kazuyoshi’s reaffirmation of Japan’s commitment to gender inclusion underscores the global confidence in NITDA’s programmes. Lead Facilitator Hajiya Hafsat Salabi-Dange was right to call IgniteHer a “movement” rather than a mere training. Movements shift mindsets. Movements change lives. Movements leave legacies.
In a world where nations compete on innovation and knowledge, NITDA is ensuring Nigerian women are not left behind but are instead leading the charge. It is dismantling old barriers and replacing them with bridges to opportunity. It is showing, through action, that inclusive innovation is not charity; it is a winning economic strategy.
If Nigeria’s digital future is a fire, NITDA is the torchbearer. And with IgniteHer, that torch is now firmly in the hands of women who will light the path for millions more.
