This paper examines the relationship between the gender digital divide and girls' education in rural Kano State, Nigeria, focusing on the role of social media in supporting secondary school learning. Although social media has become an important educational resource, girls' access remains constrained by gender, socioeconomic status, and rural location. Additional barriers include dependence on family members for phone access, limited digital literacy, restrictive gender norms, parental control, early marriage, and inadequate infrastructure. The study adopts a conceptual approach, using document analysis of reports and scholarly literature on social media, digital inequality, and girls' education to examine the Kano State case. Guided by Digital Divide Theory, the study finds that while rural secondary school girls have limited access to social media, those permitted by parents use it for group discussions, sharing notes, completing assignments, preparing for examinations, and communicating with teachers on academic and moral issues. However, cultural stereotypes and parental concerns about immorality, cyberbullying, and other online risks continue to restrict access. The paper argues that addressing the gender digital divide through community-based digital learning centres, digital literacy programmes, affordable educational data plans, parental sensitization, and school-supported WhatsApp and Telegram learning groups can significantly enhance girls' educational opportunities and learning outcomes in rural Kano State.
Keywords: Digital Inclusion; Gender Digital Divide; Girls' Education; Rural Kano State; Social Media