By Fortune Eromosele, Abuja

The CEO, Global Integrated Education Volunteers Association, GIEVA, Zhebati Ogodo, has highlighted digital inclusion for women as a catalyst for national growth and development.

Ogodo spoke at a national stakeholder workshop and symposium on the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for enhancing sales of women-led businesses in Nigeria.

The event had the theme: “Accelerating Digital Inclusion and Skills Advancement & Acquisition in Nigeria” held in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Ogodo, the organization’s sustainability plan involves getting women to commit to being mentored and becoming mentors themselves, to train more women and spread the knowledge.

Ogodo emphasized the importance of digital inclusion, stating that it’s not just about access to the internet, but about equipping people with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital era.

She said, “Part of our sustainability plan is to get the women to commit to being mentored and be willing to be mentors in order to train more women and also become disciples who spread the good news of their training insights and knowledge.

“Digital inclusion is not just about access to the internet; it’s about equipping our people with the necessary skills to thrive in this new era.

“We are gathered here today to set in motion a transformative agenda that will empower individuals and communities through education, training, and skill development.

“In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, it is imperative that we ensure every Nigerian has the opportunity to participate in the digital economy.

“Our focus is to create a sustainable model that nurtures talent, fosters innovation, and drives economic growth.

“As we embark on this journey, let us remember that digital inclusion is a catalyst for achieving our broader development goals. It is the key to enhancing education, healthcare, and governance, and to opening up new avenues for entrepreneurship and employment”.

She called on stakeholders to adopt its training model, curriculum, and solution to make digital inclusion a national project, which also saw the launching of the jumm.ai at the event.

Ogodo said, “Another is to get stakeholders from the university and Ministries, departments and Agencies (MDA)’s to have discussions on how to adopt our training model, curriculum and solution (jumm.ai) to make it a national project. Hence one of the aims of this conference”.

Ogodo appealed to government and policy makers to support the project, stating that “this baby is young, and we enjoin you to father this project.”

In his keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Nigeria, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, said technology had no gender and was one Nigeria needed to leverage on.

Ishaya spoke on the topic: “Accelerating Economic Inclusion Through Digital Skill Acquisition”.

According to him, “Technology has no gender. Go out there and believe that technology has no gender.

“All those issues of gender bias or having a superior gender, technology does not know it. We can digitalise technology the way we want it”.

Earlier, Chinonso Lekwa acknowledged the tireless efforts of the GIEVA generative AI Consortium and all the volunteers for making the event possible.