The nation’s telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment towards ensuring that the
gender disparity in the ICT career sector is bridged. This statement was
made with its backing of the 2026 edition of the International Girls in
ICT Day campaign being organised by eBusiness Life Communication
Limited.
The event which will hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on Thursday June
25, 2026 is part of an annual campaign initiated by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) to sensitise and encourage young girls to
delve into ICT and related careers, which is seen to have been dominated
by the male gender. The 2026 theme is “AI For Development: Girls Shaping
The Digital Future”.
Digital Encode Limited, an award-winning, cybersecurity consulting and
integration firm has also indicated interest in being part of this
year’s campaign. Digital Encode specialises in enterprise network
security, digital forensics, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC).
The firm is well-known for its vendor-independent approach and for
providing digital trust and threat mitigation solutions across Africa
The firm is a trusted advisor for many organizations in Africa, offering
a broad suite of information security services.
Digital Encode Founder and Chief Visionary Officer (CVO), Dr. Obadare
Peter Adewale had been an advocate of youth skills empowerment, and the
chairman, Advisory Board of Cybersafe Foundation, promoters of Cyber
Girls Initiative.
AfriGOpay Financial Services Limited has also joined the partnership
train.
AfriGOpay Financial Services Limited is the company behind AfriGO,
Nigeria’s first domestic card scheme, launched by the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
The domestic card scheme is designed to provide secure, cost-effective,
and localized payment services, including debit, credit, prepaid, and
virtual cards. By processing transactions locally, AfriGO ensures “data
sovereignty,” meaning Nigerian payment data remains within the country,
which improves security and reduces dependency on foreign exchange.
With the support for girl in ICT, AfriGOpay has committed to ensuring
that the gender disparity in ICT career is bridged.
Citing ITU’s estimate of skills shortfall of over two million jobs in
the ICT sector by 2030, Convener, Girls-In-ICT/CEO, e-Business Life
Communication Limited, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro (‘Daro), said girls and
young women who learn coding, apps development and computer science will
not only be well-placed for a successful career in the ICT sector, but
ICT skills that are rapidly becoming a strong advantage for students in
just about any other field they might choose to pursue. “Girls with ICT
skills can expect to earn good salaries and enjoy plenty of career
opportunities.
Girls in ICT Day reminds us that ICTs help to improve the lives of
people everywhere – through better health care, better environmental
management, better communications, and better educational systems that
transform the way children and adults learn.”
Referencing the 2026 theme, Mrs. Daro noted: “Artificial Intelligence,
in all of its forms, is the development vehicle. While there is a gender
gap in every industry, the largest gaps are found in the STEM fields.
Women in ICT often find themselves in junior or support roles rather
than in managerial roles, with little opportunity for advancement. They
are also less likely to hold an executive position, become ICT
entrepreneurs, or be represented among science and technology
policymakers.
To thrive in STEM, girls and young women must be exposed to women in
leadership positions, fostering inspiration and breaking down barriers
that hinder their progress. The Girls in ICT Day 2026 theme aims to
address these challenges, encouraging empowerment and skills development
for a more equitable future in STEM.”
The 2026 International Girls in ICT celebration event will feature
different competitions among female students from widely selected
private and public secondary schools. These include STEM Quiz and
practical tech competitions. Other features of the day will include
Student’s Roundtable Discussion; interactive and motivational talk from
renowned women ICT professionals.
Awards and gift prizes will be given to winning schools and students of
the Quiz and Tech competitions. Also Awards will be given to deserving
women that have exemplified themselves in the ICT industry.
The International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative launched through ITU
Resolution 70 with the idea of creating a global environment that will
empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the
field of information and communication technologies. The Union declared
the 4th (fourth) Thursday in April every year as a day to highlight the
annual campaign to encourage girls and young women to consider careers
in ICT, and society is reminded to support them in their choice.
At the end of the event, it is expected that the young students should
be able to introspect and pursue any desired career path in ICT,
technical or not, without bias, or being gender conscious. This year’s event will have top government and private sector executives
in attendance.
