Stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector have called for more investment, awareness and mentoring of girls to close the gender gap that exists in the tech ecosystem in Nigeria.
The Founder of Women’s Technology Empowerment Center, W.Tec, Mrs Oreoluwa Lesi stated this at an event organized by the centre to mark the Girls in ICT Day in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
According to her, the day is set aside to create awareness about the gender gap in technology and to celebrate Women and Girls in Technology.
“We are working to close the gender gap in technology, it is very hands-on and the girls are building tools, devices to solve problems in their local communities. So we started an exhibition of some of the projects that they have built. So we are here to celebrate them.“
She also spoke on the achievements of the Organisation so far, “Since our inception in 2008 we have worked with over 36 thousand girls and women empowering and equipping their technology and engineering skills. Out of this number we had 25% of them currently studying, Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics, STEM courses in the Universities some of graduated and are working already. We have 57% of our Alumina who are making money with the skills they acquired from our programme. They might not be in Tech but are using tech skills to create value and earn money. We hope to work with about four thousand girls and women per year.”
On partnerships, she said, “Everything we do is collaboration; this project is sponsored by Google, they have given funding, capacity-building training to support us doing this programme we also partnering with a non-profit Organisation, ISDA, based here in Abuja on groud to help in recruiting, and organizing.”
She identified insufficient funding, right partners and lack of awareness as some of the challenges faced by Non-Governmental Organisations in promoting Girls and Women in ICT.
“Funding and finding the right partners are some of the challenges in organizing and running our programme. Like now we are based in Lagos but here we are in Abuja, Bauchi and Nassarawa organising a programme we would not have achieved this without having an effective partner on ground. Finding the right partners who share the same value in your work is vital. Also, there is a lot to be done in terms of the education process for girls to know they also have an option to be part of the tech ecosystem the girls.“
The Managing Partner of W.Tec and Founder Sprout Digital, Mrs Damilola Awo-Ade encouraged young girls to be part of Technology to make their impact felt in the tech space.
“I told the girl that Technology needs them. We have a technological gender bias because we do not have enough women in tech and to get women in Tech young girls need to start now under the technological access and to know how to be safe online. The more women we have creating technology, the more women we have in decision making role in technology in government the better for us.“
Awo-Ade emphasised the need to learn, relearn and unlearn because technology is emerging every day.
She applauded W-tech for helping to close the gap; “W.Tec did a fantastic job, the outcome was great from the exhibition which was outstanding so I had little to do.”
She also urged stakeholders in the Public and Private sectors to invest in technology in the rural areas and not just concentrate only in the urban cities.
“We have gone a long way in investment in technology, but I think investors should have a more targeted approach towards it most of the approaches are driven towards the urban areas, most it is taken to Lagos then Abuja before other spaces and is, unfortunately, it does not allow for the diversity to happen especially people in the remote areas not having access to the kind of technology we use in terms of mobile and internet services.”
One of the participants, Ms Beta Moses called on the government to create more skill acquisition centres to give more girls the opportunity and create more awareness for girls from the primary level that they can also study subjects and courses in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics, STEM.
Another participant, Ms Angel Idam said with the skills she has acquired she hopes to set up an ICT firm where she would employ more women,
“With the skills acquired she hopes to build an ICT company that will employ more females to be financially independent and to prove to that world that girls can also excel in the Tech-Space.”
PIAK
