Empower women with ICT skills, says IPC

As the world marks telecommunication and information society day, the International Press Centre, IPC, Lagos, Nigeria, has joined global voices to call for the greater empowerment of Nigerian women with ICT skills.  * Mr. Lanre Arogundade A statement signed by the organization’s Programme Officer, Stella Nwofia, to mark the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), quotes the Director, Lanre Arogundade saying, women as prime drivers of social change have critical role to play in national development noting that empowering girls and women with improved ICT knowledge will greatly advance this cause. The WTISD is marked every May 17 to raise awareness about the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as ways to bridge the digital divide. Speaking on the year 2012 theme, ‘women and girls in ICT’, Arogundade said although women and young girls are quite active on the social media scene, they need better orientation to use ICTs to enhance their work and studies. Mr. Arogundade also noted that there is wide disparity in ICT usage between urban based women and girls and their counterparts in the rural areas.  According to him, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for Women Affairs, Information and Communication, Science and Technology, Youth and Social Development etc. need to address these critical issues in order to realize the full potential of Nigerian women and girls in the ICT field. Mr. Arogundade said one way of doing this is to ensure greater recognition and reward for women and girls who innovatively use ICTs to promote change and advance societal development.