Webfala Digital Skills for All Initiative (WDSFAI), a non-profit organisation, is set to empower 150 women in Kano State with marketable digital skills through its ‘SafeHer STEM Skills’ programme.

Supported by UK-based Global Feminism in Solidarity and Action, the initiative provides training in Cybersecurity, software development, and Data Science.

According to Khodijah Lawal, WDSFAI’s Programme Lead for STEM Education and Digital Literacy, the programme aims to equip participants with digital skills to thrive in the digital age, become self-dependent, and safeguard them against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Lawal noted that financial independence significantly reduces vulnerability to SGBV and that the initiative seeks to create a safe and inclusive space for women and girls.

According to her, the programme, which received 1,459 applications, will provide four months of intensive training.

Lawal urged governments, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to invest in digital skills, particularly for females.

She said: “We are convinced that empowering girls and women towards financial independence significantly reduces their vulnerability to SGBV. Through our initiative, we are contributing to creating a safe, secure, and inclusive space for women and girls to thrive in our society.

“The prorgramme also seeks “to inspire more girls and women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as contribute to bridging the gender gap in the tech ecosystem in Nigeria.”

Senior Special Assistant on Information Communication Technology (ICT) to the Kano State Governor, Yusuf Sharada, commended WDSFAI for the training programme and assured the organisers of the state government’s support.

Director of Communications and Strategy for WDSFAI, Hameed Muritala, stated that the programme’s expansion to Kano is part of the organisation’s mission to provide digital skills to Nigerian women, regardless of socio-economic background or location.

“Irrespective of socio-economic background or location, every girl deserves to be equipped with 21st-century digital skills,” he added.