First Lady Closes Renewed Hope ICT Training, Empowers Hundreds
The Renewed Hope ICT Skills Acquisition Programme reached a triumphant milestone on November 21, 2025, as Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, officially closed the initiative’s 2025 Women ICT Training Empowerment Programme cohort, empowering 607 women across the nation with in-demand digital skills.The programme, launched in 2023 as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has grown steadily since its inception with an initial batch of 35 participants. This year’s edition, spanning several months of intensive training, focused on equipping women from all six geopolitical zones with practical expertise to foster economic independence and digital inclusion.Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the First Lady praised the programme’s alignment with the administration’s broader vision to create opportunities for young Nigerians and women entrepreneurs.
“This Renewed Hope ICT training is not just about acquiring skills; it is about restoring dignity, creating wealth, and positioning our women as global competitors in the digital economy,” Senator Oluremi Tinubu declared. “I am proud to see hundreds of women leaving here today equipped to build their own futures and contribute to national development. Embrace small beginnings—they lead to great heights.”
The comprehensive training, powered by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in partnership with private-sector stakeholders like Huawei, covered high-value areas including software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, and cloud computing. Participants received internationally recognised certifications upon completion, positioning them for roles in Nigeria’s burgeoning tech sector. in a complementary effort earlier this year, NITDA leveraged the 2024 Abuja International Trade Fair—from September 20 to October 1—as a key platform to spotlight inclusive digital innovation. At its bustling pavilion themed “Digital Nigeria: Driving Inclusive Growth Through Innovation,” the agency demonstrated homegrown solutions ranging from e-government platforms to agritech and fintech applications developed by Nigerian startups. The event drew over 100,000 attendees, including international delegates, and highlighted NITDA’s ongoing initiatives to scale digital access nationwide.Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, who spoke at both the Trade Fair and the recent closing ceremony, emphasised the agency’s commitment to bridging the digital divide.
“We are deliberately creating pathways for every Nigerian—regardless of location, gender, or background—to participate in and benefit from the digital economy,” he stated. “From the Renewed Hope training centres established in 2023 to innovation hubs across the six geo-political zones, our goal is simple: no Nigerian should be left behind in the fourth industrial revolution.”
These events form part of NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024-2027), which builds on the agency’s foundational work since 2001 to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading digital economy by 2030. Key milestones include the rollout of the 2024 Digital Nigeria International Conference (postponed from October 22-24 for enhanced impact) and the expansion of training cohorts from hundreds in 2023 to over 600 in 2025. With hundreds now joining the growing pool of certified Nigerian tech talent and local innovations gaining visibility both nationally and internationally, the Renewed Hope agenda continues to deliver tangible results in youth and women empowerment, technological self-reliance, and inclusive growth.