By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Ayo Omotayo, has said rural women could access legal aid and report discrimination instantly through mobile platforms powered by artificial intelligence.

The proposal targets a persistent gap in rural communities, where access to justice remains limited despite Nigeria’s commitments to international gender frameworks.

Omotayo spoke at the launch of the New Dawn for Women and Community Intervention Initiative (NEWOMCII) in Abuja, attended by the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar; Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa, represented by Etuka Chizioba Ifeoma; and son of the President, Seyi Tinubu.

“Technology can make access to protective and proactive justice local where mobile platforms allow women in rural areas to seek legal aid and report discrimination instantly,” he said.

He warned that women risk exclusion from the expanding use of artificial intelligence without deliberate access to digital tools and skills.

Omotayo said AI-driven systems could support civil society monitoring of agribusiness and link rural producers to wider markets.

He noted that Nigeria’s commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Maputo Protocol have seen limited implementation at the grassroots.

“When we invest in a woman, we are not just performing a social good; we are making a high-yield economic investment,” he said.

He proposed a ‘Cities or Communities for CEDAW’ framework to embed gender standards in local governance and called for coordination among local authorities and traditional institutions to improve women’s access to land and credit.

Omotayo said NIPSS, through the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Gender Centre of Excellence, plans to assess states on gender neutrality and inclusive governance, including representation and infrastructure.

Earlier, Founder of NEWOMCII, Bolaji Raji, said the initiative focuses on expanding opportunities for women and youths at the grassroots.

“At the heart of our work is a belief I hold strongly: when women are empowered, families thrive and communities progress,” he said.

National Coordinator, Sa’adatu Bokane Adamu, said the group works in agriculture, agribusiness and crafts, and has carried out interventions in health, education and training.

“With our operational presence across Nigeria, we are determined to replicate these interventions in all regions of the country,” she said.