The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with Women in Cyber Security, has launched a specialised training programme aimed at equipping Nigerian women with critical cybersecurity skills, as part of efforts to boost female participation in the country’s digital security workforce.
The initiative, titled “Cyber for Women,” was held in Abuja and is designed to position women at the forefront of Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
Speaking at the launch, Mohammed Lawan Ahmed, director of cybersecurity at NITDA, represented by Ayodele Bakare, described the programme as a strategic intervention that goes beyond capacity building. He noted that the initiative serves as a long-term investment in Nigeria’s digital future and global cybersecurity resilience.
Ahmed emphasised the importance of inclusion, stating that women must play a leading role in shaping the nation’s response to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
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Despite rising global demand for cybersecurity professionals, women remain significantly underrepresented in the field. According to Ahmed, the programme is structured to bridge this gap by providing participants with practical knowledge, industry-relevant tools, and opportunities for collaboration.
The launch also comes against the backdrop of a widening cybersecurity and data protection skills deficit in Nigeria. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, revealed that the country currently faces a shortage of approximately 480,000 data protection professionals.
While the number of certified data protection officers has surpassed 10,000, Olatunji noted that this remains insufficient to meet the needs of over 500,000 data controllers and processors nationwide.
The “Cyber for Women” initiative forms part of NITDA’s broader strategy to promote digital inclusion and develop a resilient, future-ready cybersecurity workforce in Nigeria.
