The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which is responsible for regulating the country’s telecommunications, has stated again its intention to work towards eliminating gender inclusion in information and communication technology (ICT) jobs.
This announcement was made to support eBusiness Life Communication Limited’s International Girls in ICT Day campaign for 2024.
Seen as a continuation of the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) yearly campaign to raise awareness and inspire young women and girls to pursue careers in information and communication technology (ICT), the event is scheduled at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on May 9, 2024. “Leadership” is the overarching theme for the year.
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Globacom Nigeria, the mobile network operator and fully integrated telecommunications company in Nigeria, has also expressed interest in participating in this year’s related campaign. Globacom and the NCC have been staunch backers of this initiative, highlighting the importance of preparing girls with an aptitude for technology for careers in the future.
Mrs Ufuoma Emuophedaro, the Publisher/CEO of eBusiness Life Communication and event organiser, claims that the yearly gathering highlights the vital role that women are destined to play in developing cutting-edge technological advancements.
How girls can be helped with gender inclusion in ICT
While expressing gratitude to the organisations and businesses that have contributed to the campaign throughout the years, Mrs Emuophedaro urged other progressive groups to collaborate with eBusiness Life to educate young women about the importance of catching on to technological advances to set themselves up for successful future careers.
She mentioned that the campaign is based on the idea that women have been subtly marginalised and that men have traditionally held more prestigious positions in technical fields, particularly in information and communication technology.
She believes that to give young girls a better chance of having a say in industry and economic development, it is essential to expose them to technical job opportunities in the public and private sectors.
Critical thinking, creativity, and digital awareness are transferable and lifelong skills that she emphasised the need to teach the girls. Particularly in male-dominated professions like the sciences, having strong female role models will be essential.
What to expect in the coming event
At the 2024 International Girls in ICT celebration event, female students from various public and private secondary schools will compete in various events. Some examples of these are video logging competitions and STEM quizzes. The day will also feature a general students’ quiz competition, a student roundtable discussion, and inspiring speeches by well-known women in information and communication technology (ICT), such as media tech influencer MissTechy.
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The winning schools and students in the Tech and Quiz competitions will receive awards and gift prizes. Men and women alike will be recognised for their achievements in the information and communication technology sector with special awards.
A global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies is the goal of International Girls in ICT Day, an initiative launched through ITU Resolution 70. Every year, on the 4th of April, the Union launches a campaign to attract more young women and girls to information and communication technology (ICT) jobs and to rally society behind these women and girls as they pursue these paths.
We hope that by the time the event is over, the young women will have gained the self-awareness and confidence to pursue any IT job they choose—technical or otherwise—without discrimination based on gender.