PRESS RELEASE
“DON’T BE AFRAID TO START SMALL; SOMEONE WILL NOTICE” …. FIRST LADY OLUREMI TINUBU
Performs Closing Ceremony of 2025 RHI/NITDA Women ICT Training Empowerment Program
* As NITDA targets 95% national digital literacy by 2030
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has charged women across the nation to embrace small beginnings not only in their businesses but also in digital empowerment. Senator Oluremi Tinubu was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Renewed Hope Initiative/ National Information Technology Development Agency Women ICT Training Empowerment Program.
The First Lady encouraged participants to overcome fear and hesitation by starting modestly but with determination.
“Don’t be afraid to start small. Somebody, especially when you do it small and do it very well, somebody will take note”.
She recounted the early days of the Alternative High School for Girls which she birthed in Lagos State while she was the State First Lady describing it as once a new and uncertain idea but now has over 40 thriving similar schools across the nation.
The First Lady pointed out that this is an inspiration for women to patiently build their digital skills and careers without fear of initial limitations.
She urged the women present to see their training as a stepping stone to greater heights.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu praised the program’s remarkable progress, from training 35 women initially to now reaching 607 women across Nigerian states.
“You all stand today as ambassadors of digital literacy”.
“Apply the skills you have learned. Pursue continuous growth in the digital space.”
Earlier, Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi emphasized the transformational power of empowering women in Nigeria through technological innovation and digital literacy.
He highlighted the concerted efforts by the Federal Government to uplift women with the necessary digital tools and skills for economic empowerment.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi explained that the federal government’s digital empowerment agenda is rooted in a clear vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As a nation, we cannot achieve a one trillion U.S. Dollar economy if half of our population is left to die. Therefore, at NITDA, we have a clear vision to make Nigeria an empowered nation fostering inclusive economic growth through technological innovation”.
“When our communities are empowered, we thrive.”
“In the 21st century, the illiterate are those who cannot use digital devices. Therefore, we want to empower every Nigerian to develop digital fluency—not just to access the digital economy but to be an active part of it.”
The 320 participants for the 2025 edition of the training who were drawn from the 6 geopolitical zones of the country were then presented with brand new laptops and seed money of N200,000.00(two hundred thousand naira) each.
SIGNED
Busola Kukoyi
SSA Media to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Thursday 20th November, 2025
