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By Bukola Olajide
Kwara State has taken another step towards bridging the gender digital divide with the commissioning and unveiling of the Olufolake ICT E-learning, Skills Acquisition and Women Empowerment Centre in Ilorin, designed to equip women and young people with digital and vocational skills for greater economic participation.
The centre, powered through a strategic collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was unveiled as part of sustained efforts to expand access to digital literacy, skills acquisition, and direct economic opportunities for women across the state.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Kwara State First Lady, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, described the facility as a timely intervention aimed at unlocking the potential of women.
“Digital literacy should no longer be regarded as the exclusive preserve of the elite, but as an essential tool for professional development, socioeconomic participation, and competitiveness in the modern economy,” Prof. Abdulrazaq stated.
She explained that the centre will provide market women, young female graduates, and underserved girls with opportunities to transition from technology consumers to digital creators, e-commerce entrepreneurs, data analysts, and tech-driven leaders.
The Kwara First Lady emphasised that technology must be complemented by vocational expertise and financial capacity to achieve sustainable development.
She noted that her office and the Ajike People Support Centre have continued to back women and youth through vocational training, provision of working tools, and financial-literacy schemes.
According to her, these interventions complement the Kwara State Government’s broader social safety net programmes.
She also announced plans for a follow-up engagement in Malete, where the RHI-NITDA ICT Learning Centre was scheduled to be commissioned the following day in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the Vice President.
Earlier in her remarks, the Kwara State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Folasade Opeyemi, described the project as a product of strategic collaboration and sustained advocacy for women’s development.
Mrs. Opeyemi commended the First Lady for facilitating the project, adding that the ministry deemed the facility worthy of being named in her honour to institutionalise her contributions to human capital development.
The Commissioner spoke extensively about several gender-focused initiatives driven by state advocacy, including the enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law through the State Steering Committee on Gender-Based Violence, the establishment of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, and the distribution of grants, agricultural inputs, and vocational support across Kwara’s 16 local government areas.
She also cited the domestication of the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, backed by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, as a critical step toward removing systemic economic barriers.
“This facility should help transform ideas into enterprises, skills into wealth, and potential into progress,” Mrs. Opeyemi told attendees.
Also speaking, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, noted the historical shift in economic drivers.
He pointed out that while past generations depended on farmland, livestock, and later oil and gas, technology now represents the main source of wealth and economic opportunity.
In her address, the State Commissioner for Communication, Mrs. Bola Olukoju, noted that the centre aligns with the state government’s commitment to enabling women to acquire ICT skills, establish technology-driven enterprises, and achieve financial independence.
The unveiling event brought together senior government officials, community leaders, and key stakeholders, reinforcing the state’s drive to leverage digital inclusion for long-term economic growth.
