The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for stronger participation of women in cybersecurity, stressing that the field will remain highly relevant as digital technologies continue to expand.
The Director-General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, made the call during a one-day Cyber for Women Training on Empowering Women in Cybersecurity held in Abuja.
The programme was organised by NITDA in collaboration with Women in Cybersecurity Nigeria (WiCyS) and supported by the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN). The training also formed part of activities marking International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated globally on March 8.
Represented by Dr Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director in the Cybersecurity Department of NITDA, Inuwa noted that women remain significantly underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce despite the growing global demand for digital security experts.
“Women’s representation in cybersecurity is less than 25 per cent globally and even in Nigeria it is really very low,” he said.
According to him, cybersecurity concerns everyone regardless of gender, making it important to equip women with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves in the digital space.
“The reality is that cybersecurity is genderless and that is why it is important that we bring women up to speed,” Inuwa stated.
He explained that digital security awareness has become essential as more people rely on online platforms for communication, collaboration and financial transactions.
“As far as cybersecurity is concerned, women in Nigeria should be able to protect themselves whenever they are playing, working, communicating, collaborating or having financial transactions online,” he added.
Inuwa also stressed that cybersecurity will continue to remain a vital field as digital technologies evolve.
“Cybersecurity is one area within the IT ecosystem that will never be obsolete and for every invention or innovation in the area of digital technologies; there will always be cyber insecurity,” he said.
“What that means is that cybersecurity will always be valid, will always be relevant and, as such, it is a very good career path, in fact a great career path for women.”
The President of Women in Cybersecurity Nigeria (WiCyS), Ms Patricia Eromosele, said the global demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to rise significantly within the next decade.
“According to the latest statistics, the number of cybersecurity professionals we will need in the next five to 10 years will rise by 32 to 40 per cent,” she said.
Eromosele noted that the expected increase in job opportunities makes it necessary to encourage more women to enter the sector.
“We need the other half of the population, which are women, to come on board, we need them to be educated, to be aware and also to take leadership and decision-making roles in cybersecurity,” she said.
The Vice President of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), Mrs Oluwatoni Falade, also highlighted that the cybersecurity profession remains male-dominated.
“Cybersecurity it is a male-dominated profession, the percentage of men outweighs women and some people say women make up about 20 per cent, but in real time I doubt if we have up to that,” she said.
Falade explained that increasing female participation would bring diverse perspectives needed to tackle complex cybersecurity challenges.
“The way women handle things is different from men and we need both genders on the table in order to see the solutions properly.
“We think in different ways and directions and that is why it is important that women are on the table so they can see what men may not see,” she added.
One of the participants, Amina Abdulrasheed, said she joined the programme because both individuals and organisations need stronger digital protection.
She explained that transitioning from the health sector into technology helped her understand the wide opportunities available in cybersecurity.
Another participant, Saraniya Maki, praised the organisers of the training, saying the programme inspired her to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
A total of 55 women were trained under the Cyber for Women programme.
