The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has faulted Nigeria’s 2023 Digital Economy Strategic Plan, saying it largely overlooks gender inclusion and environmental justice.
CITAD raised the concerns at a press briefing held in Kano on Wednesday, where the Project Lead, Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda, Ms Fatima Babakura, spoke on behalf of the organisation’s Executive Director.
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Babakura said CITAD, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), was implementing a project to examine gender and climate gaps in Nigeria’s digital policies.
She explained that the initiative was designed to promote a digital transformation process that is inclusive, environmentally sustainable and anchored on feminist and climate justice principles.
According to her, although the digital economy is often promoted as a driver of economic growth, innovation and better governance, CITAD’s assessment showed that the current strategic plan focuses more on technological expansion and economic efficiency, with little attention to social and environmental concerns.
“Digital policies are not neutral. When justice considerations are ignored, they tend to reinforce and deepen existing inequalities,” Babakura said.
She noted that gender considerations were weakly reflected in the plan, adding that women and girls were only mentioned in passing, without clear targets, timelines or accountability measures.
Babakura said the plan failed to adequately address challenges such as unequal access to digital skills, exclusion of women from emerging technology sectors and limited support for women-led digital enterprises.
She warned that the situation could further widen Nigeria’s digital gender divide if not urgently addressed.
On environmental issues, Babakura said the strategy did not sufficiently consider the environmental and climate implications of expanding digital infrastructure.
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She pointed out that the growth of data centres, broadband networks and ICT devices comes with increased energy consumption, carbon emissions and electronic waste.
According to her, the plan made no clear provision for environmental impact assessments, effective e-waste management or the adoption of renewable and low-carbon energy solutions.
She cautioned that the omission could expose vulnerable communities to environmental risks and increase the likelihood of Nigeria becoming a destination for electronic waste.
Babakura stressed that the identified gaps were inconsistent with Nigeria’s commitments to sustainable development and climate action.
She called on the Federal Government, particularly the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, to urgently review the Digital Economy Strategic Plan.
She said the review should deliberately integrate gender justice and environmental sustainability across all aspects of the policy, with measurable targets, adequate funding and enforceable accountability mechanisms.
Babakura also urged closer collaboration between the ministries of communications, environment and women affairs to ensure that digital development aligns with national gender equality and climate goals.
She further called on civil society groups, the media, development partners and the private sector to sustain advocacy for what she described as a feminist and green digital future.
According to her, Nigeria is at a critical stage in shaping its digital economy.
She said the digital economy can drive inclusive growth and national development only if it is intentionally designed to be gender-responsive and environmentally sustainable.
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