Stakeholders in Nigeria’s digital sector have called for urgent and sustained action to close the gender gap in technology, warning that women remain significantly underrepresented in artificial intelligence and broader ICT fields.

The call was made on Thursday in Abuja during the 2026 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Girls in ICT Day, organised by the Digital Bridge Institute, with the theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future.”

The event brought together policymakers, tech experts, educators and students to explore strategies for expanding girls’ participation in science, technology and innovation.

Declaring it open, the President/CEO of DBI, David Daser, said that the time had come to move from advocacy to concrete investment in girls’ tech education and participation.

Represented by the Director of Special Duties of the Institute, Viola Askia-Usoro, the President urged stakeholders to go beyond rhetoric and take deliberate steps to fund girls’ education in technology, create safe digital spaces, and actively integrate young women into AI and telecommunications careers.

“As we celebrate this day, I call on parents, teachers, industry leaders, and policymakers, let us move beyond rhetoric. Let us fund girls’ tech education, create safe digital spaces, and actively recruit young women into AI and telecom careers,” he said.

He stressed that girls must be positioned not only as users of technology but as designers and leaders shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

He also noted that DBI is expanding training in coding, data science, AI ethics and telecommunications engineering to support increased female participation in the sector.

The DBI boss referenced historical pioneers in computing and innovation, including Ada Lovelace, Hedy Lamarr and Shirley Ann Jackson, as well as Nigerian trailblazers such as Omobola Johnson, noting that women have always played foundational roles in technological advancement.

He further noted that Nigeria must position itself competitively in the global digital economy by deliberately investing in human capital, especially among young women who represent a significant but underutilised talent base.

He added that inclusive innovation would strengthen the country’s ability to respond to emerging technological disruptions.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of HerCode Technology Initiative, Oluchi Ada Ufomadu, said artificial intelligence presents a major opportunity for girls to achieve financial independence and contribute to national development.

She noted that ICT has become more accessible through AI tools, encouraging more girls to take advantage of training opportunities in areas such as cloud computing and AI engineering.

Ufomadu said women currently make up only about 20 per cent of the global technology and artificial intelligence workforce, describing the figure as a major gap that must be urgently addressed.

She argued that increasing female participation in AI would not only promote inclusion but also strengthen innovation outcomes by bringing diverse perspectives into system design and development.

“Awareness remains the first step, as many girls are still unaware of available pathways into the tech ecosystem,” Ufomadu noted.

On concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence, she emphasised the need for proper training and ethical understanding.

“AI is a tool. The person behind the tool determines how it is used. With the right knowledge, it can be directed toward social good,” she said.

A participant, Deborah Onu, shared her experience, noting that digital tools and AI have improved her learning process by helping her understand classroom lessons and conduct independent research more effectively.

The International Telecommunications Union-led Girls in ICT Day is a global initiative designed to encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in information and communication technology and related digital fields