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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The European Union (EU) has concluded digital skills promotion programme that targeted women, hard-to-reach youths, and persons with disabilities in its three years of targeted support to advance inclusive digital transformation and economic opportunity in Borno and Yobe States.
The programme was designed to reduce the digital gender divide and digital exclusion among women, youth, and persons with disabilities, while strengthening community-level capacity in fragile contexts.
At the closing ceremony in Maiduguri, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, underscored the programme’s strategic focus on inclusive, people-centred digital development.
“This project shows how well-targeted digital investments can deliver lasting impact by empowering communities, strengthening local institutions, and supporting inclusive economic growth. Through the Global Gateway strategy, the EU is backing practical, people-centred digital transformation that responds to local realities and leaves no one behind.”
He emphasised the importance of digital inclusion in conflict-affected regions, noting that digital inclusion is not a luxury, but a necessity for resilience, innovation, and meaningful participation in global economy.
“For marginalised communities in conflict-affected regions, access to digital skills is essential to stability, opportunity, and long-term recovery.”
Highlighting the EU’s forward-looking approach, De Luca noted that the EU desire that such initiatives could translate into real economic value. “Our focus is on ensuring that skills, infrastructure, and innovation lead to viable enterprises, job creation, and durable economic resilience within local communities.”
Providing an overview of the programme’s outcomes, Godwin Dominic, ZOA Programme Manager, said the initiative delivered measurable results across target communities.
“The programme trained 18,193 individuals, established 32 IT hubs, and supported the formation of a digital literacy working group to strengthen coordination and sustainability. In addition to that, six schools were capacitated with access to IT services, expanding opportunities for digital learning and skills development across communities in Borno and Yobe states.”
The Executive Secretary of the Borno Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (BICTDA), Mohammed Kabir Wanori, who represented the Borno State Government, commended the programme for complementing state development priorities, strategies, policies, and strengthening opportunities for women and youth.
As the programme concludes, partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the digital infrastructure, skills, and local capacity developed through the initiative, ensuring that its outcomes continue to support inclusive economic participation and community resilience in North-East Nigeria.
The closing ceremony, held in Maiduguri brought together stakeholders, including representatives of the EU implementing partners, civil society organisations, and state government officials, to reflect on progress achieved and lessons learned from the initiative.
Funded by the EU with €750,000, the programme was implemented by ZOA International from 2023 to 2026, and It focused on narrowing the digital gender gap, expanding access to digital skills, and strengthening the capacity of grassroots civil society organisations across 30 communities in Borno and Yobe states.
