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NITDA, HORSA Expand Digital Inclusion for Lawmakers’ Families
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in partnership with the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA) has organised a specialised two-day digital literacy and capacity-building workshop for spouses of members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives. It is part of the strategic efforts to broaden Nigeria’s digital frontier.
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The initiative, themed “Empowering Women for a Digital Future: Leadership, Wellbeing, and Opportunity,” is designed to equip participants with practical skills to navigate the modern digital economy and the unique demands of public life.
Beyond Computer Basics: Skills for the Digital Economy
Moving beyond introductory computer training, the workshop delivers a comprehensive mix of high-impact skills. They include:
- Financial and digital literacy: Leveraging digital tools for business growth and personal finance management
- Cybersecurity and digital wellbeing: Promoting online safety, data protection, and mental health resilience
- Economic empowerment: Unlocking opportunities in remote work, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and digital entrepreneurship
The programme aims to position spouses of lawmakers as digitally confident leaders who can support governance and community development.
Deputy Speaker Highlights Strategic Role of Spouses
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, underscored the critical role spouses play in supporting public office holders.
He described spouses as trusted advisers whose understanding of legislative responsibilities enhances lawmakers’ effectiveness. The legislator noted that the pressures of legislative work can strain family life. According to him, empowering spouses with digital and leadership skills strengthens their ability to provide informed support and constructive feedback.
Kalu also observed that many spouses already lead humanitarian and development initiatives in their communities. He added that the training would enhance communication, strategic planning and resource mobilisation for greater social impact.
NITDA Aligns Initiative with National Digital Agenda
In his welcome address, the NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the programme aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to build a sustainable digital economy that leaves no group behind.
He said the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu places digitalisation and innovation at the heart of economic diversification and inclusive growth.
Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA is implementing a national digital literacy framework targeting 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030. It is driven through three pillars: integrating digital skills into formal education, upskilling public servants, and expanding community-level digital inclusion.
Women as Catalysts of Digital Transformation
Describing women as critical drivers of Nigeria’s digital transformation, the NITDA DG said empowering spouses of lawmakers would strengthen leadership at home and positively influence legislative processes at the National Assembly.
He revealed that NITDA is working with the Ministry of Education and global technology partners to train teachers nationwide. More than 54,000 public servants are currently enrolled in the Agency’s digital literacy programmes. Through community champions across the 36 states and Abuja, millions of Nigerians are reached annually with basic digital skills training.
“National leaders must not be left behind in Nigeria’s digital transition,” he said, adding that digitally literate spouses can help advance technology-driven governance, including efforts to digitise legislative processes.
HORSA Describes Workshop as Historic Milestone
In her goodwill message, the Leader of HORSA and wife of the Speaker, Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, said the workshop is a historic milestone. She described it as the first comprehensive capacity-building programme organised by the 10th Assembly for lawmakers’ spouses.
According to her, public life in a digital age now extends beyond physical spaces to online platforms. This makes digital and financial literacy, cyber protection and digital wellbeing essential skills for spouses of national leaders.
According to her, sessions on mental health, emotional resilience, entrepreneurship and leadership are timely, as spouses of public office holders often shoulder unseen emotional responsibilities. She added that empowering women economically strengthens families and communities while enabling more meaningful contributions to national development.
Strong Government Support for Digital Empowerment
The event featured goodwill messages from senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim. Others are the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, Olufolake Abdulrazaq; and the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Stanley Olajide. The list also includes Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara; and the Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Offiong Akpabio.
