Webfala Digital Skills for All Initiative (WDSFAI), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting digital education and skills, has pledged to empower 150 women in Kano State with marketable digital skills under the second cohort of its ‘SafeHer STEM Skills’ programme.

Supported by UK-based Global Feminism in Solidarity and Action, the programme’s first cohort held last year in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, where over 100 women were empowered with in-demand digital skills.
Speaking during the orientation programme for participants of the second cohort on Saturday in Kano, the WDSFAI’s Programme Lead for STEM Education and Digital Literacy, Khodijah Lawal, said the selected participants will, starting from Monday, receive a four-month intensive training in either Cybersecurity, software development, or Data Science.

Lawal explained that the initiative was aimed at equipping the participants with relevant digital skills to thrive in the digital age, become self-dependent, and safeguard them against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), which she said had become prevalent in the society.

She said: “We are convinced that empowering girls and women towards financial independence significantly reduces their vulnerability to SGBV. Through our initiative, we are contributing to creating a safe, secure, and inclusive space for women and girls to thrive in our society.”

She added that the prorgramme also seeks “to inspire more girls and women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as contribute to bridging the gender gap in the tech ecosystem in Nigeria.”

On the selection process for the second cohort, Lawal revealed that 1459 applications were received, with only 512 applicants shortlisted for interview before 150 applicants were selected to take part in the training.
The Programme Lead noted that the high number of women who applied for the training programme was an indication that more girls and women were willing to acquire digital skills. She, therefore, urged governments, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to invest more in digital skills, especially for females.

In his remark, the Senior Special Assistant, Information Communication Technology (ICT) to the Kano State governor, Yusuf Sharada, appreciated WDSFAI for bringing the training programme to Kano, and assured the organisers of the state government’s support.
While urging the participants to show serious commitment to the training programme, Sharada expressed the readiness of the Kano state government to increase investment in digital literacy for youth in the state.

Speaking on why the SafeHer programme was moved from Kwara to Kano, the Director of Communications and Strategy for WDSFAI, Hameed Muritala, said the move was part of the organisation’s mission to expand access to digital skills for Nigerian women.

“Irrespective of socio-economic background or location, every girl deserves to be equipped with 21st-century digital skills,” he added.