The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCE, has called for stronger strategic partnerships and innovative funding models to advance the participation of women in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Inuwa’s goodwill message was delivered on his behalf by Mrs. Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator, Office of Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), a subsidiary of NITDA, at the maiden edition of the Women’s Breakfast Meeting held on the sidelines of the ongoing Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE 2025) in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme, “Building Strategic Partnerships for the Funding and Advancement of Women in Technology,” Inuwa described the event as a defining moment in Nigeria’s journey toward gender inclusion within the digital transformation agenda.
He noted that while women play a vital role in driving the digital economy, they continue to face structural barriers to accessing funding and investment opportunities.
“Women founders remain under-represented in deal flow and receive a small fraction of available capital despite strong performance and repayment records,” he said. “Barriers such as limited investor networks, bias in risk-assessment models, and inadequate early-stage support continue to impede progress.”
Citing data from Briter Bridges, the NITDA boss revealed that only 1.5% of total startup funding in Africa in the first half of 2025 went to companies with female CEOs, while just 9% went to startups with at least one female founder or co-founder.
He emphasized that the breakfast session aimed to move “beyond diagnosis” by fostering actionable dialogue on blending public and private capital to build sustainable funding pipelines for women-led startups.
Inuwa also highlighted NITDA’s efforts through several initiatives aimed at empowering women, including the IgniteHer Bootcamp in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Female Founders Training (FFT), the Renewed Hope Initiative training programme in collaboration with the First Lady, and the Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma initiative with the World Bank.
According to him, these initiatives have empowered hundreds of women with digital and entrepreneurial skills, equipping them to scale their innovations and lead in the tech space.
“For true transformation, we must go beyond training; we must build ecosystems that sustain and fund women’s ideas,” Inuwa stressed. “Partnerships between government, investors, and development partners are essential to unlock capital, mentorship, and opportunities for women-led startups to flourish.”
He further noted that bridging the gender digital divide could add over $13 billion to Nigeria’s GDP in the next decade, adding that empowering women to create, innovate, and lead would have a ripple effect on the nation’s prosperity.
The DG reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to implementing the National Gender Digital Inclusion Strategy (NGDIS), establishing innovation spaces across the country, strengthening digital safety programmes, and promoting inclusive policy frameworks to ensure equal access to digital tools and opportunities.
He lauded women founders, innovators, and mentors for their resilience and creativity, urging them to continue leading boldly and collaborating meaningfully.
“Let this meeting set the tone for stronger partnerships, greater accountability, and tangible progress toward a digitally inclusive Nigeria—one where women’s contributions are not the exception but the standard.”
