AUTHOURS: Tochukwu Nwobodo, Ibukunoluwa Adebara
The United Nations (UN) consistently advocates for the prospects of social justice within the fast-paced global digital economy.[1]
The UN explains Social Justice to mean “an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.”[2]
The keyword in the UN’s definition of social justice is “barrier”. Social Justice aims at dismantling the barriers which certain people face because of their ‘disadvantages’. Social Justice entails that every human should have a level playing ground and should not be restricted from chasing his loftiest dreams because of gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability.
The rise of the internet has made the world one big village, where everyone can have access to the same information. The emergence of the internet had strategically eliminated the barriers to access to information, allowing for the dissemination and retrieval of information from different parts of the world in record time. To a large extent, it has levelled the playing field. Nonetheless and particularly in Nigeria, there is undoubtedly still available a large mass of potential for improvement. The Nigerian digital economy is the focal point for enhancement because, despite the ease of access to information which the internet provides, Nigeria’s digital economic space still lags on the success of ease of access to the internet; a right that is gradually gaining recognition as a fundamental right.[3]
It is no news that the COVID 19 pandemic recalibrated the nature and structure of working conditions, thrusting the world into total lockdown and the unlocking of the immersive space of digital technology and remote working. Considering the new realities, the Nigerian economy quickly suffered an economic recession as the transition into the world of digital savviness was not as smooth owing to the wild gulf in the digital divide and unequal opportunities to access digital technologies. This implication of this inequality is that some persons have been inhibited in the exercise of their freedom to express themselves as guaranteed as a fundamental right in the Nigerian constitution. Now more than ever before, it is time for revamp of the Nation’s ideals on equal opportunities vis-à-vis the enhancement of digital platforms to accommodate the peculiarities of the swiftly emerging digital economy.
The Nigerian Digital Economy built on the foundation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) which was launched on November 28, 2019, is targeted at providing a holistic and sustainable approach towards the development of Nigeria’s digital economy[4]. With 8 pillars centered on the development of digital infrastructure, digital skills and regulation, Nigeria is theoretically poised to play a more substantial role in the global digital economy. Practically though, the ills of uneven distribution of resources and back-pedalling policies are the most significant hindrances to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy. The World Day of Social Justice, for Nigeria should be a reassessment of its strides towards attaining an expansive and progressive digital economy. To this end, emphasis must be placed on digital literacy across the country; beyond a matter of policy announcements, the government should work with academicians and other necessary stakeholders to ensure that Nigerians are groomed from an early age to understand the workings of digital platforms/technologies; while individuals especially youths already familiar with the workings of digital technologies should be given an opportunity to develop their innovations and compete within both the Nigerian market and the global economic space. Nigeria as a nation must consistently focus on proactive regulations geared at facilitating internet access for all individuals across the nation; policymaking for Nigeria’s digital economy and particular emphasis on equal opportunities for internet access must take on an innovative approach for it to catch up with the fast-developing pace of the global digital economy.
Issues relating to gender disparities continue to exist within the tech space and the larger digital global economy; emphasizing the need for social justice within the most basic divide of human existence. This is attributed to the gender conditioning during formative years where the male children are encouraged into STEM electives and female, into Arts. According to women-in-tech statistics for 2020, a mere 20% of positions in the tech world are held by women.
The modern-day woman has been redefined over the decades. She is no longer confined to prisons of social construct resulting from the fights of feminists for entitlement to basic rights; focal points being the right to equal opportunities and equal pay. Although these have been adopted in most parts of the world, this merely serves as a springboard for the opportunities for the womenfolk. The capabilities of modern-day women are of monumental magnitudes, with women daring to break into controversial fields and exerting dominance. Women should opt for more mentoring programs, and capacity development initiatives while management within the industry should offer more flexible working hours and opportunities for personal development. Management should adopt a top-down rationale and adopt a more inclusive policy in hiring and promotions.
Women like Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) – The prophet of computer age or ‘The mother of the internet’- Radia Perlman (1951-) or even Sister Mary Kenneth Keller (1913-1985) – First female computer science PhD are trailblazers that women in tech should aspire to.
In support of the global call for social justice within all aspects of the global digital economy, we at PUNUKA remain committed to contributing to social protection, justice, fundamental principles and just rights at the workplace amongst other things, first in Nigeria and then the world at large for the actualization of a safe and stable society. We would continue to lend our voice to the development of sustainable policies for Nigeria’s digital economy and a helping hand to our immediate society until every individual has equal opportunities for growth and development.
[1] World Day of Social Justice 2021 retrieved from World Day of Social Justice 2021: Theme,History,Background,Purpose,Hashtags (internationaleventday.com) accessed on February 17, 2021, 12.30 pm
[2] www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/international-days/world-day-of-social-justice/world-day-of-social-justice-2017.html (Accessed on February 17, 2021)
[4] Developing Nigeria’s Digital Economy: The Journey So Far, retrieved from Developing Nigeria’s Digital Economy: The Journey So Far – NTA.ng – Breaking News, Nigeria, Africa, Worldwide accessed on February 17, 2021, 1.37pm
