“Nigeria’s Digital Future Must Be Just, Inclusive and Green” – CITAD

By Ladan Nasidi, Kano

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised the alarm over what it described as “deeply troubling gender and environmental injustices” embedded in Nigeria’s 2023 Digital Economy Strategic Plan, warning that the country’s digital transformation could worsen inequality and ecological harm if urgent reforms are not undertaken.

Speaking at the organisation’s 5th Press Briefing on Thursday, December 17, 2025, the Project Lead of the Greening and Feminist Centering of the National Digital Transformation Agenda, Fatima Babakura, said Nigeria’s digital policies currently prioritize technological expansion and economic efficiency at the expense of social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

“Digital policies are not neutral. When justice considerations are ignored, they often reproduce and deepen existing inequalities,” Babakura stated.

She explained that the CITAD project, supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), was designed to identify gender and climate gaps in Nigeria’s digital policies and advocate for a digital ecosystem rooted in feminist and climate justice principles.

According to Babakura, CITAD’s assessment of the Digital Economy Strategic Plan revealed that gender considerations are weak and poorly integrated across the policy framework.

“Women and girls are mentioned only marginally, without clear targets, timelines or accountability mechanisms to address the structural barriers that limit their participation in the digital economy,” she said.

She noted that critical challenges such as unequal access to digital skills, exclusion of women from emerging technology sectors, and limited support for women-led digital enterprises remain largely unaddressed.

“If left unchanged, this approach risks widening Nigeria’s digital gender divide and excluding millions of women from the benefits of digital transformation,” Babakura warned.

The briefing also highlighted the absence of environmental and climate justice considerations in the strategic plan, despite the growing ecological footprint of digital infrastructure.

“The expansion of data centres, broadband networks and ICT devices has serious environmental implications, including increased energy demand, carbon emissions and electronic waste,” she said.

Babakura lamented that the current strategy makes no provision for environmental impact assessments, e-waste management systems, or the adoption of renewable and low-carbon energy solutions.

“This omission exposes vulnerable communities to environmental harm and increases the risk of Nigeria becoming a dumping ground for electronic waste,” she added.

CITAD stressed that these gaps contradict Nigeria’s commitments to sustainable development and climate action, noting that a digital economy that ignores environmental sustainability ultimately undermines national and global climate goals.

In response to the findings, the organisation issued a strong call to action to the Federal Government.

“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, to immediately review the Digital Economy Strategic Plan and deliberately integrate gender justice and environmental sustainability across all its pillars,” Babakura said.

She emphasized that such a review must include measurable targets, adequate funding and enforceable accountability mechanisms.

CITAD also called for closer collaboration between the Ministries of Communications, Environment and Women Affairs to ensure that digital development aligns with Nigeria’s climate and gender equality commitments.

“Policy making must reflect a multidisciplinary approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of technology, society and the environment,” she noted.

The organisation further urged civil society groups, the media, development partners and the private sector to sustain advocacy for what it described as a “feminist and green digital future.”

“Public scrutiny and collective action are essential to ensuring that Nigeria’s digital transformation serves the people, protects the environment and promotes social justice,” Babakura said.

Concluding the briefing, CITAD warned that Nigeria is at a critical crossroads.

“The digital economy has the potential to drive inclusive growth, but only if it is intentionally designed to be gender-responsive and environmentally sustainable. Failure to act now risks entrenching inequality and ecological harm for years to come,” Babakura said.

She concluded with a clear message: “Nigeria’s digital future must be just, inclusive and green.”