March 9, 2023

With women in Nigeria making strides in the telecom industry and more taking leadership roles and contributing to its growth, gender disparity however remains a challenge, with women underrepresented in technical roles, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Commission however to mark the 2023 international women’s day themed: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” which highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls.

The NCC notes a few facts on the state of women participation in the industry is as follows:

According to a recent report by the NCC, women account for approximately 47 percent of Nigeria’s active telecoms subscribers.

*Women entrepreneurs are making significant contributions to the sector, with a recent report showing that women owned businesses accounted for 37 percent of the total number of businesses in the sector

*Women participation in the Nigerian telecoms sector has been increasing in recent years, with a 2019 report by the NCC showing that women made up 30percent of the sector’s workforce

*Access to connectivity will improve women’s economic opportunities. However, women in Nigeria are 21 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone, and 35 percent less likely to use mobile internet

*There is still a significant gap in leadership positions in the Nigerian telecoms sector. According to a recent report, women hold only 20 percent of op management positions in the sector.