From Abubakar Sulaiman
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called for a radical shift in Nigeria’s digital transformation strategy, urging the government to move beyond “infrastructure expansion” and prioritize social equity and environmental sustainability.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kano, Fatima Babakura, the Project Lead for the “Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda,” argued that while Nigeria’s digital growth is often hailed as a success, the benefits remain concentrated among the urban elite.
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The “Success Story” Myth
Babakura noted that Nigeria’s digital progress is currently measured by the adoption of technology and the growth of innovation hubs. However, she emphasized that these metrics fail to account for how power and resources are actually distributed.
“Digital transformation is shaped by political and economic choices that determine who benefits, who is excluded, and whose realities are prioritized,” Babakura stated.
The organization highlighted several “layered barriers” that prevent marginalized groups from participating in the digital economy, including:
· Affordability: High costs of data and devices.
· Safety: Prevalence of online harassment against women.
· Exclusion: Lack of representation for persons with disabilities and rural communities in policy-making spaces.
Gender and Environmental Justice
A major focus of the briefing was the structural exclusion of women and the environmental toll of digital expansion. CITAD pointed out that women are often sidelined due to cultural restrictions and policy frameworks that ignore their lived experiences.
Furthermore, the “Greening” aspect of the project addresses the ecological impact of the tech boom. Babakura warned that communities with weak regulatory protections often become dumping grounds for electronic waste (e-waste) and suffer from resource exploitation while seeing the fewest benefits from the digital economy.
A Call to Action
CITAD, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), issued a four-point call to action to reform Nigeria’s digital landscape:
1. Regulatory Reform: Policy makers must embed gender justice and disability inclusion into all digital policies.
2. Structural Funding: Private sector and development partners should prioritize funding for women-led and community-driven initiatives to close the investment gap.
3. Civil Society Engagement: Advocacy groups must work to translate the “lived realities” of marginalized people into concrete policy demands.
4. Media Accountability: The press is urged to look beyond tech “hype” and investigate issues of power, access, and exclusion.
“Nigeria’s digital transformation cannot be considered successful if it leaves significant portions of the population behind,” Babakura concluded.