As Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, Nigeria’s transformation and development rely on its ability to build a globally competitive digital marketplace. Achieving this potential depends entirely on the digital inclusion of its female population, who represent half of the nation’s human capital.
Yet, while digital technologies have transformed economies and societies worldwide, offering new opportunities for education, entrepreneurship, health, and civic engagement, their benefits remain unevenly distributed, particularly for women on the African continent.
Earlier research conducted in the After Access qualitative study on gender and digital technologies: Nigeria report explored the lived experiences of Nigerian women in both urban and rural contexts, across a range of ages, education levels, and socio-economic backgrounds. It found that only 23% of women in Nigeria had internet access, compared to 40% of men. These gaps were largely driven by intersectional inequalities, including income, education, geographical location, and gender norms.
Drawing on the report findings, this policy brief recommends a set of transversal, government-wide approaches to empower women to participate fully and safely in Nigeria’s digital economy, society, health and education systems. Authors call on distinct institutions, departments, and stakeholders to adopt gender-responsive approaches that can prevent millions of Nigerian women from being locked out of the formal financial system, barred from accessing critical government services, and permanently stalled from making women-led contributions to the nation’s growth.
