In the month of March, TechCabal deeply explored diversity in the technology industry by putting out a portrait series and exhibition event which featured 50 women working in diverse capacities in the Lagos technology sector. We also explored what  inclusion models within the African context should look like, one of which is the need for more initiatives that work to encourage more young girls and women into the industry as well as support for already existing ones.

Participants listen to Managing Director, Mines.io, Adia Sowho at the Tech Women Lagos x kwikmoney workshop

In Nigeria, there are no less than 30 such initiatives targeted at getting more girls and women into technology, according to research conducted by TechCabal. These initiatives provide training opportunities and mentorship to young women across Nigeria through a variety of bootcamps, computing courses, after-school programmes, hackathon events and mentorship sessions with accomplished women working in the technology industry, among others.

Collectively, these initiatives have trained and mentored over 20,000 young girls and women across Nigeria and received national and international recognition for their work.

That there is a dearth in the number of women working in technology and related fields is not news. Nonetheless, to create holistic businesses and technologies that solve the world’s most pressing needs, ideas must come from diverse and well-represented sources across board.

Ratio of women in leadership positions working in technology and related fields in Africa

Find here, a link to the initiatives working to encourage more girls and women into the technology industry. Because this list is by no means exhaustive, we invite you to fill this form if yours or an initiative based or operational in Nigeria, is doing same and has not been captured here.

Here’s a quick glance at the initiatives on the list:

INITIATIVE YEAR FOUNDED FOUNDER(S) LOCATION AREA OF FOCUS
Girls4Tech (YFTechnology) 2000 Njideka Harry Imo Education
She Leads Africa Accelerator 2014 Afua Osei/Yasmine Bello Lagos Funding/Mentorship/Support
Women’s Technology Empowerment Center 2008 Oreoluwa Lesi Lagos Education/Mentorship
Nigerian High Tech Women 2004 Dr. (Mrs.) Omowunmi Hassan Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos Education/Opportunities
Pearls Africa Foundation 2012 Abisoye Ajayi Lagos Education/Mentorship/Opportunities
Edufun Technik 2013 Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu Anambra Education/Opportunities
TechHer Nigeria 2015 Chioma Agwuegbo Abuja Community/Support
She Learns Here 2017 Olubunmi Fajuyigbe Ibadan Education/Opportunities/Support
Fempower Initiative Africa 2017 Sandra Ajaja Lagos Education/Support
Women in Technnology in Nigeria (WITIN) 2006 Martha Omoekpen Alade Lagos Education/Support
TechinPink 2016 Yetunde Sanni & Getrude Nyenyeshi (Kenya) Lagos Education/Mentorship
AfroTech Girls 2015 Adeola Shasanya, Morenike Johnson & Yvonne ‘Nkem’ Allanah Lagos Education/Mentorship
WAAW Foundation 2007 Unoma Okorafor Lagos, Abuja Education/Mentorship
GirlLEAD Project 2016 Dr. Augustine Enodiana Edo Education/Support/Community
She Code Africa 2016 Ada Nduka Oyom Lagos Media/Education
Girlcode Academy 2017 Adeola Haruna Lagos Education/Mentorship
Gitgirl Initiative 2018 Yvonne Onyinye Alozie & Eyitemi Popo Lagos, Abuja Education/Support
The Visiola Foundation 2012 Lade Araba Abuja Education/Mentorship
Tech Girls Advocacy Program 2013 Girls’ Voices Initiative Abuja Education
Tech4Her Africa 2015 Mrs. Elizabeth Olorunleke-Edwards Lagos Education/Support
SHE (STEMMA Hands-on Empowerment) Initiative 2016 Christopher Kolade Foundation Lagos Education
AboCoders 2015 Simi Olusola Niger, Kaduna Education/Support/Mentorship
Girls in Tech (Nigeria) 2014 Tosin Oguntuyi & Dupe Darabidan Lagos Opportunities/Education/Mentorship
CODEIT 2014 Damilola Olawale Abuja Education
Brainiacs WinSTEM 2015 Brainiacs STEM and Robotics Jos Education/Mentoring/Funding
Odyssey Educational Foundation 2013 Stella Uzochukwu-Denis Abuja Education
#GirlsCodeNigeria 2015 Omobolanle Osho Ogun Education
The African Tech Woman 2018 Joke Adekunle Lagos Media
CAWSTEM 2018 Wamide Egunjobi Lagos Mentorship/Community/Support
TechHut 2017 Titi Derin-Adediran Lagos Education
Sharonnite Hub 2019 Telangni Sharon Salami Lagos Education
InspireIT 2017 Nuela Adanna Ononiwu Education/Mentorship
Kay Ugwuede Author

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