For years, gender inclusion in Nigeria’s public institutions has often been more aspirational than actual. But within the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), something more deliberate, and more structural, is beginning to take shape. Under the leadership of Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, the agency’s organisational chart reveals a deliberate positioning of women in roles that directly influence finance, communication, procurement, and institutional reform, the very levers that determine whether an agency performs or stalls.
Take Mrs Hadiza Umar, for instance. As Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, she is not merely managing press releases; she is shaping how Nigeria’s digital transformation story is told. Her office sits at the intersection of government, industry and the public, translating policy into narrative and building trust with stakeholders locally and globally. Her work has helped position NITDA as a visible and responsive digital agency, using communication as a strategic tool for inclusion and innovation.
Equally critical is the role of Mrs Titilayo Olusanya, Director of Financial Management and Control. In any institution, finance is power, and Olusanya sits firmly at that centre. With oversight of budgeting, revenue optimisation and financial strategy, her work ensures that NITDA’s ambitious digital programmes are not just conceptual, but executable. She has also been instrumental in strengthening revenue streams such as the IT development levy, aligning financial systems with the agency’s broader strategic roadmap.
Then there is Mrs Fati Zanna Bukar, who leads the Procurement Unit. This is one of the most sensitive arms of any government agency, where transparency, compliance and value-for-money decisions are made daily. By placing a woman at the helm of procurement, NITDA is effectively entrusting oversight of contracts, vendor selection and resource allocation to female leadership, reinforcing both accountability and institutional integrity.
Similarly, Mrs Tariundu Ndoni plays a pivotal role as Head of Reforms Coordination and Service Delivery. Her position is not administrative; it is transformational. As a systems analyst with deep experience in project management and process improvement, she drives internal reforms, ensuring that NITDA’s services are efficient, measurable and aligned with national expectations. Her work spans data analysis, strategic planning and performance optimization, functions that directly impact how citizens experience government services.
Beyond the core management team, the agency’s broader ecosystem reinforces this pattern of intentional inclusion. Victoria Fabunmi, as National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), operates at the frontline of Nigeria’s startup and innovation ecosystem. Her role connects policy to entrepreneurship, supporting tech hubs, nurturing startups, and shaping how innovation translates into economic growth. This places her in a strategic position to influence the future of Nigeria’s digital economy from the ground up.
Likewise, Mrs Iklima Musa, serving as Special Adviser to the Director-General on Stakeholder Management works close to the nucleus of decision-making. Advisory roles at this level are critical: they shape priorities, refine policy direction, and influence long-term institutional vision. Her position ensures that women are not only implementing strategy but actively designing it.
What becomes clear across these roles is a pattern of placement, not coincidence. Women at NITDA are not confined to “soft” departments; they are embedded in finance, procurement, reform, communications and high-level advisory. These are the engines of governance. They control resources, shape institutional narratives, enforce accountability and design the future.
This matters because agencies like NITDA are not peripheral; they sit at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation mandate, driving ICT policy implementation and national tech development. By ensuring that women occupy these strategic positions, the agency is doing more than promoting inclusion; it is redefining leadership itself.
