Plan International seeks expanded digital skills for girls

The Plan International Nigeria has called for an expansion of digital skills for girls in the country across board. The Acting Team Head, People and Culture, Plan International Nigeria, Deborah Yakfa, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the 2024 commemoration of the Girls in ICT Day 2024. She said that girls across FCT schools […]

The Plan International Nigeria has called for an expansion of digital skills for girls in the country across board.

The Acting Team Head, People and Culture, Plan International Nigeria, Deborah Yakfa, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the 2024 commemoration of the Girls in ICT Day 2024.

She said that girls across FCT schools had been educated on the importance of digital skills in every sector.

The event entails engaging Nigerian students in Abuja in essay writing, ICT debate and quiz competitions, and mentorship/career conversations on focus area by female players in the ICT and other sectors and expanding on the importance of digital skills across the board.

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Yakfa said the girls and their male counterparts were also informed on their right to study any subject or course, irrespective of societal norms and biases.

“Digital skills are crucial now, but girls and women are missing out due to unequal access and bias,” she said.

She said this limited their opportunities and reinforces existing gender gaps, hence the need to ensure everyone benefits from technology.

“We feel there is need to push girls to ensure that they are as much as possible in the ICT. Like we know, tech is the key thing; that is where the world is moving to and it is important for us to have women as representative ICT. We must give them a voice to hear more about women and how important they are,” Yakfa said.

The event also witnessed ICT debate and quiz competitions, and mentorship/career conversations.

Participating schools were Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Dutse; Olamawu Academy, Army Day Secondary School, Government Secondary School (GSS) Mabushi and GSS Gwarinpa Estate among others.

The winners would also be engaged in a six-month free tech mentorship programme.