Nigeria’s foremost digital development agency, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has partnered with the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA) to host a two-day intensive digital literacy and capacity-building workshop for spouses of members of the House of Representatives.
Themed *“Empowering Women for a Digital Future: Leadership, Wellbeing, and Opportunity,”* the programme was designed to prepare participants for the realities of a rapidly evolving digital economy and the unique responsibilities that come with public life.
Rather than limiting the training to basic computer knowledge, the workshop delivered a broad-based curriculum covering digital and financial literacy for business growth and personal finance management; cybersecurity and digital wellbeing focused on data protection, online safety and mental resilience; as well as economic empowerment through opportunities in remote work, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and digital entrepreneurship.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, highlighted the vital role spouses play in supporting elected officials. He described them as confidants and advisers whose understanding of legislative duties enhances the effectiveness of lawmakers.
Kalu noted that the pressures of legislative work often affect family life, stressing that equipping spouses with digital knowledge and leadership skills would strengthen their ability to provide informed guidance and constructive feedback. He encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning as a necessity in today’s technology-driven world.
In his welcome remarks, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, said the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable digital economy. According to him, the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu places digital innovation at the core of economic diversification and national growth.
He revealed that NITDA is implementing a national digital literacy framework aimed at achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030. The strategy focuses on embedding digital skills in formal education, upskilling public servants and expanding grassroots digital inclusion efforts nationwide.
Inuwa described women as central to Nigeria’s digital transformation, explaining that digitally empowered spouses can influence leadership both at home and within governance structures. He disclosed that over 54,000 public servants are currently enrolled in NITDA’s digital literacy programmes, while community champions across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are reaching millions annually with foundational digital skills training. He added that leaders and their families must not be excluded from Nigeria’s digital transition, especially as legislative processes increasingly move toward digital platforms.
Delivering a goodwill message, HORSA Leader and wife of the Speaker, Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, described the workshop as a landmark initiative and the first comprehensive capacity-building effort of its kind under the 10th Assembly. She noted that public engagement in today’s world extends beyond physical spaces into digital platforms, making digital literacy, financial knowledge and cyber awareness indispensable for spouses of national leaders.
She further emphasised the importance of sessions on mental health, emotional resilience, entrepreneurship and leadership, observing that spouses of public office holders often bear unseen emotional responsibilities. According to her, empowering women economically not only strengthens families but also enhances community development and national progress.
The event also attracted goodwill messages from senior government figures, including Femi Gbajabiamila; the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, Olufolake Abdulrazaq; Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Stanley Olajide; Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara; and Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Offiong Akpabio.
The workshop marks a significant step toward strengthening digital leadership capacity among families of national policymakers while reinforcing Nigeria’s broader ambition of inclusive digital transformation.
