NITDA, NAWOJ Seal Digital Partnership
Dr. Nafisat Makinɗe, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has agreed to establish a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to promote digital literacy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity awareness, fact-checking and digital capacity development for women journalists across Nigeria.
The commitment followed a courtesy visit by the National Chairperson of NAWOJ, Comrade Aisha Ibrahim, to NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, where the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, was represented by the Director of Stakeholders Management and Partnership, Dr. Aristotle Onumo. The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Ibrahim.
Onumo said the proposed collaboration aligns with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan and supports the agency’s target of achieving 70 percent digital literacy among Nigerians by 2027 through partnerships with the National Youth Service Corps, the Federal Ministry of Education, universities and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. He added that 40 percent of NITDA’s programmes are dedicated to promoting gender inclusion.
“If we succeed in partnering with NAWOJ, not only will women journalists acquire digital skills, they will also become ambassadors who can take digital literacy to women in communities across Nigeria. That partnership alone can significantly advance our national vision,” Onumo said.
Onumo also pledged NITDA’s participation in the Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026 and proposed that both organisations sign a Memorandum of Understanding to define responsibilities, timelines and expected outcomes of the partnership.
NITDA’s Deputy Director of Cybersecurity, Dr. Ayo Bakare, urged journalists to embrace artificial intelligence while strengthening fact-checking and cybersecurity skills to counter AI-driven misinformation and disinformation, which he said pose growing threats to credible journalism and national security.
Ibrahim said NAWOJ is seeking a long-term partnership with NITDA to strengthen the digital capacity of women journalists. She also invited the agency to support the Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026 through technical collaboration, sponsorship and participation in discussions on technology and national security.