The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), Grace Jerry, has called for the urgent need to include women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023.
IFA’s Executive Director made the call as stakeholders and media professionals gathered at a roundtable organized by IFA to advocate for the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in the digital literacy framework.
The key objective of the discussion was to push for an official addendum to the NDLF 2023, which will explicitly incorporate digital literacy initiatives for women and girls with disabilities.
Jerry noted that in an increasingly digital world, access to digital tools and opportunities must be equitable. “Ensuring digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities is not optional—it is essential,” she said.
She expressed the aim to secure this policy change by August 2025, with the approval of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
“Our ultimate aim is to secure the adoption of an addendum to the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) 2023, which explicitly incorporates digital literacy for women and girls with disabilities, by the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) by August 2025,” she said.
To achieve the policy change, IFA is building a coalition of policymakers, civil society organizations, and media professionals to drive awareness and advocacy.
The group is also planning to use evidence-based insights, stories, and media coverage to emphasize the importance of this inclusion as it ensures that the conversation reaches decision-makers and influences the necessary policy updates.
Media representatives were urged to amplify the conversation through storytelling and investigative reporting to influence policy decisions.
The event, supported by Rise Up and the Public Health Institute, emphasized the urgent need to bridge the digital divide for this marginalized group.