By Jabir Ridwan
On a December morning in Kano, hundreds of girls filled an auditorium at Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University with an energy rarely associated with conversations about artificial intelligence. They came not to be told what the future might look like, but to understand how they could take part in shaping it.
At the centre of this effort is Amb. Huzaifa Jamil Kmata, a girl child and women’s right advocate whose work has quietly grown into one of Northern Nigeria’s most consistent platforms for girl-child empowerment. Through the She Is the Future Conference, now in its third edition, Kmata has been advancing a simple but often overlooked idea: the future will not include girls unless they are deliberately prepared for it.
The 2025 conference, held on 20 December and organised by the Girls Gate Initiative for Empowerment and Development in partnership with ThriveHer Health Initiative and Drone Forge Africa, carried a theme that reflected this conviction “The Smart Girl Era: Reimagining the Future with AI.”
What distinguishes the She Is the Future Conference from many youth-focused gatherings is its insistence on preparation over symbolism. In the days leading up to the main event, selected girls between the ages of 15 and 20 took part in the Smart Girl Future Skills Workshop, where they were introduced to digital literacy, responsible technology use, and the fundamentals of artificial intelligence.
For many of the participants, it was their first structured encounter with technology beyond social media. Some would later return to the main stage to present ideas shaped during the workshop a deliberate effort to move girls from passive attendance to visible leadership.
“This is not about exposure alone,” Kmata told participants during his address. “It is about capacity and the confidence to use it.”
The conference unfolded against a backdrop of growing concern about the impact of digital spaces on young people, particularly girls. Panel discussions and keynote sessions addressed both the opportunities and risks of technology, with conversations grounded in lived realities rather than abstract theory.
A keynote address by Icon Farouk emphasised the need for ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence, particularly in contexts where access, safety, and cultural values intersect.
One panel, “Reclaiming the Digital Space: Tackling Harmful Influences and Building Empowered Girls Through Tech,” examined online safety, identity, and positive engagement. Moderated by Safiya Daba, the session featured insights from Amina Ibrahim Idris, CSC Aisha Yakasai, Sumayya Tofa, and Nurse Maryam Maishanu, who spoke candidly about the pressures girls face online and the importance of equipping them with both technical knowledge and self-awareness.
Another session focused on practical application. Led by Barrister Nazirah Muhammad, “Mindset Revolution: Leveraging Smartphones and AI for Personal Development and Career Building” explored how everyday tools could be transformed into pathways for education, productivity, and long-term opportunity.
Beyond panels, the conference created space for policy and reflection. Engineer Naja’atu Kabir Mustapha presented a paper on the ethical responsibilities surrounding artificial intelligence and the girl child, while Honourable Hafsat Aminu Adhama, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Girl Child Affairs, spoke on education as a stabilising force for development.
The programme also acknowledged the role of creativity in shaping public understanding. A spoken-word performance by Aisha Aliyu Jibril offered a reflective pause, capturing the tensions and possibilities of a society negotiating rapid technological change.
Kmata’s role throughout the conference was less performative than directional. In his remarks, he resisted grand declarations, instead returning to the idea of shared responsibility. Empowerment, he argued, does not end with conferences; it requires sustained mentorship, institutional support, and communities willing to reimagine what is possible for girls.
Participants numbering over 300, including students, parents, educators, and civil society actors described the conference as timely and unusually practical. For many of the girls, it marked their first encounter with conversations about artificial intelligence framed not as something distant or intimidating, but as a tool they could learn to use.
As the third edition of She Is the Future concluded, its message was clear, if understated: progress does not arrive by accident. It is built, carefully and intentionally, by those willing to prepare others for the world as it is becoming.
In Kano, that preparation has begun not as a slogan, but as a sustained effort to ensure that girls are not left watching the future unfold from the margins.