By Chimezie Godfrey
The Women Internet Governance Forum 2025 (WIGF25), convened by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in partnership with the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF), has issued a strong warning that Nigeria’s digital future is at risk if women remain excluded from key technology governance spaces.
The virtual forum, held recently brought together policymakers, academics, innovators, and women leaders under the theme “From Vision to Visibility: Advancing Women’s Leadership in Digital Governance.”
The communique, released after the forum convened virtually, stated that women remain “significantly underrepresented in digital governance leadership despite their contributions to ICT, digital innovation, cybersecurity, and AI.”
According to the communique, the discrimination is reinforced by entrenched socio-cultural norms, stereotypes, and digital inequality. It noted that “structural and cultural barriers, including limited digital access, stereotypes, and online gender-based violence, hinder women’s meaningful participation.”
The forum also warned that Nigerian women are nearly invisible in global digital policy platforms. The communique highlighted that “Nigeria, and Nigerian women especially, remain underrepresented in WSIS+20 processes, ITU research clusters, ICANN, and other global governance platforms,” stressing that this absence continues to weaken Nigeria’s digital policy influence globally.
The statement further criticized the nation’s reliance on foreign digital solutions, pointing out a lack of adequate investment in local content and indigenous innovation. It noted that “Nigeria relies heavily on foreign digital solutions with insufficient investment in local languages, context-based educational models, and homegrown technological innovation.”
On digital safety, the communique expressed concern about the growing threats faced by women online. It stated that “women face increased cyber risks, online harassment, misinformation, and algorithmic bias,” and called for gender-responsive digital safety frameworks to protect women and girls.
The forum also described network failures experienced during its virtual sessions as symbolic of Nigeria’s broader connectivity crisis. According to the communique, “poor internet connectivity and unreliable broadband infrastructure continue to limit women’s access to opportunities in digital governance, remote work, research, and virtual learning.”
In its resolutions, the communique urged government and regulatory institutions to prioritize women’s inclusion in digital decision-making. It stated that “women’s leadership and representation must be strengthened in ICT institutions, boards, regulatory committees, and global policy spaces such as the NIGF, WAIGF, and WSIS+20.”
It also called for expanded digital literacy and capacity-building programmes for women and girls, stressing that “mentorship, leadership development, and inclusive digital literacy—especially in AI, cybersecurity, robotics, cloud computing, and data governance—should be scaled for young women in underserved communities.”
The communique demanded the full integration of gender perspectives into national digital and AI policies. It emphasized that “MDAs including NCC, NITDA, NDPC, and the Ministry of Communications must mainstream gender in ICT and AI strategies while strengthening protections against cyberstalking, online harassment, and algorithmic discrimination.”
The forum urged government, academia, innovation hubs, and civil society to prioritise gender diversity in decision-making bodies. The communique maintained that “women’s representation across all national ICT policymaking spaces and global governance processes is essential to achieving truly inclusive decision-making.”
It also called for stronger investment in localized innovation, saying that “local digital infrastructure, indigenous innovation, and context-driven technologies must be strengthened to advance women’s leadership.”
The statement further demanded protection of civic and digital spaces for women, insisting that “women must be able to freely and safely express themselves and engage in digital ecosystems without fear of harassment or exclusion.”
The communique also urged academic institutions to reform digital education pipelines, saying that “contextualized learning models, creativity-focused curricula, mentorship, incubation, and research pathways must be expanded to connect young women to innovation hubs and emerging opportunities.”
The communique concluded by reaffirming the importance of women’s leadership in the country’s digital future. It stated that “women’s leadership is essential to achieving an inclusive, innovative, and secure digital future for Nigeria,” and called for collective national action to dismantle structural barriers, enhance women’s visibility, and promote context-responsive digital governance.
Nigeria Risks Digital Marginalisation Without Women at the Policy Table – Forum Warns
