CITAD, APC Push for Inclusive and Eco-friendly Digital Policies at Kano Workshop

By Ladan Nasidi, Kamo
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), has concluded a two-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening gender and environmental perspectives within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital policy landscape.

The workshop, themed “Engendering and Greening Digital Policies,” was held in Kano from December 8 to 9 and brought together civil society organisations, digital rights advocates, and campaigners for gender and environmental justice.

Declaring the event open, Hamza Ibrahim, who represented CITAD’s Executive Director, Malam Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, described the training as both timely and crucial for Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“Our digital future must be inclusive and environmentally responsible,” Ibrahim said. “This training is part of our commitment to ensuring that gender justice and climate concerns are not treated as afterthoughts in policy-making.”

Also speaking, Fatima Babakura, Project Officer at CITAD, explained that the workshop was designed to enhance participants’ capacities in two key areas — greening digital policies and engendering advocacy.

“The greening component focuses on promoting environmentally sustainable approaches to technology development and governance,” she said. “The engendering aspect seeks to embed feminist and climate justice lenses into policy and advocacy frameworks.”

According to Babakura, the participants engaged in expert-led sessions, interactive discussions, and group exercises that offered practical experience on applying gender and climate justice frameworks to existing digital policies.

She added that discussions covered a range of issues, including Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, the gender digital divide, the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure, and strategies for driving meaningful policy change.

One of the facilitators, Saleh Umar Anka, Director of Climate Change at the Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, emphasized the need for Nigeria’s digital growth plans to align with climate priorities.

“Technology has a significant environmental footprint, and policy actors must begin to factor climate impacts into digital planning and implementation,” Anka said. “A climate-sensitive digital agenda is essential for sustainable development.”

He applauded CITAD and APC for creating a space that connects digital rights, gender inclusion, and climate action.

The workshop is part of CITAD’s broader initiative, “Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda,” which aims to promote a more equitable, inclusive, and environmentally conscious approach to Nigeria’s digital advancement.