A former House of Representatives aspirant from Cross River State, Martha Agba, has advocated for the inclusion of young women in governance.
She joined national delegates at Nigeria’s first-ever International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV), where she represented the interests and voices of young women in governance.
The landmark event had the theme: “Shaping Digital Governance: Collaboration and Inclusivity.”
It marked Nigeria’s debut hosting of the globally recognised ICEGOV conference and brought together policymakers, technology experts, innovators, and governance advocates.
They explored the expanding frontier of digital public administration.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasised that the future of governance must be driven by innovation, collaboration, and the collective intelligence of multiple stakeholders.
According to him, digital transformation cannot evolve in isolation, noting that “innovation happening in clusters makes implementation faster and ensures that impact cuts across sectors, communities and demographics.”
Agba described her participation as an honour and a strategic opportunity to push for broader representation of young women in governance, particularly in emerging digital policy spaces.
She noted that Nigeria’s hosting of ICEGOV signaled a major shift in national commitment to building inclusive, technology-driven public institutions.
“This conference demonstrates that Nigeria is ready to take its place in global digital leadership,” she said.
“For young women in governance, it opens doors to engage in decision-making processes that shape the digital future.
”We must ensure that inclusivity remains at the centre of every innovation we pursue.”
She commended the Federal Government and NITDA for creating platforms where diverse voices, including youth and women, can contribute to national and global conversations on digital governance.
Agba expressed optimism that the outcomes of the conference would influence transformative policies capable of expanding digital opportunities across rural and urban communities in Nigeria.
With Nigeria’s first ICEGOV event successfully held, stakeholders say the country is now positioned to accelerate digital governance reforms anchored on collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, principles that Hon. Martha Agba remains committed to championing.
