Information Literacy and Women Empowerment for National Development: The Role of First Ladies in Nigeria

Abstract:

nformation literacy, the ability to access and utilize essential information empower women’s participation in national development and helps them to gain control over their lives. It is key to development and it promotes social inclusion by empowering people to seek and use the information to achieve their goals. It helps women to utilize available resources at their disposal to the best of their ability to achieve optimum results. Women economic empowerment and information literacy cannot be assessed without considering the economic inequality in Nigeria. Women empowerment is the means of reducing women's vulnerability and dependency in all areas of life. Women in Nigeria especially in the rural areas have been neglected, subjected and exposed to poverty with no means of supporting themselves. This paper looks at how information literacy and empowerment can raise the standard of living of women and the role and impact first ladies have played in empowering these women and going forward, how information literacy and women empowerment programmes can be better structured and sustained to further improve their living conditions and the socio-economic development of the nation.