On Saturday, September 28, 2024, over a thousand women gathered at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos for Wetech’s fifth anniversary celebration and flagship conference. The event anchored by Lady Kay was attended by tech leaders, career professionals, founders, venture investors, and a vibrant community of women in technology and entrepreneurship.
The event opened with a fireside chat on the main stage featuring Wetech co-founders, Gabriella Uwadiegwu and Flora Uwadiegwu. This discussion centred on Wetech’s journey in the past five years and how the organisation has helped empower women to close the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Women make up 42% of the global workforce and about 31.7% of senior positions. While this is a significant improvement from previous reports, they still lag behind men significantly in nearly every industry. Women hold 50% of entry-level positions while being shut out of the C-suite holding only 25% of top positions. In the tech industry, women only make up about 28.2% of the workforce which is an abysmal number compared to the number of men in tech.
The advancement of women in the workplace is a net positive for everyone. According to the World Bank, more women in the workforce could lead to a 20% increase in GDP per capita globally.
Gabriella and Flora started Wetech to close the gap in women’s participation in the tech workforce. Inspired by the emergence of more women in professional spaces and organisations like AnitaB.org they took on the bold job of empowering African women in tech.
Through five years of mentorship, workshop programmes, and community-building initiatives, Wetech has created a safe and intentional space to share resources that help women succeed. According to Gabriella, “We have a duty to fight for women in tech. We believe in this mission and looking out today we see over a thousand women who are going to change the landscape of technology.”
The fireside chat ended with Flora telling the audience the significance of Wetech’s fifth anniversary and what they plan to achieve in the next five years.
“This fifth anniversary means five years of consistently providing accessibility to women and five years of impact. This is our third conference in a row in three years and each year we have improved. We’ve catered to a wide range of women in technical and non-technical fields using their skills to build solutions for the most important problems in Nigeria. Five years here means that we’re not just consistent but we’re also scaling and increasing the scope at which we can give back and help support women whether in their career, startup, or personal development.” Flora said.
In the future, Wetech will be doubling down on its current mission and work. They hope to help bridge the gender equity gap in line with the UN’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development. They are also working towards global expansion and more African diaspora involvement in the organisation.
The event also witnessed a community spotlight and storytelling panel from women who formerly worked with Wetech and are part of its community. The panel titled “The impact of Wetech in Nigeria” featured Arafah Ogunfemi, software engineer at Shuttlers, Queen Adebiyi, product manager/lawyer at DatlyBridge, Grace Yopele, a senior mobile engineer at Ejara, Amarachi Ezichi, software engineer at Moniepoint, and Damilola Alabi, ex-chief of staff at VestedWorld.
The panellists recounted their experiences with Wetech and how it positively affected their career trajectory. They also spoke on their plans to stay involved in the growth of the Wetech communities and fielded audience questions on how to build and leverage community.
How data keeps the lights on
The first panel was followed by a keynote session on “How data keeps the lights on” delivered by Adora Nwodo. Adora has had an illustrious career as a software engineer. She is passionate about cloud engineering having written three books on the subject and launching NexaScale, an ed-tech non-profit providing simulated work experience for engineers and product managers.
This keynote session addressed the power of data and how data allows us to understand human patterns and system behaviour.
Strategies for career advancement in tech
The keynote session was followed by a panel discussion on how women can advance their tech careers. This discussion was moderated by Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, CEO of FutureSoft Resources Limited. Speakers were Oluwafemi Akintilo the head of engineering at AbInBev; Samira Nwaturuocha, the co-founder/risk, governance and security Leader of Scuriti Ltd; Antoinette Edodo the chief strategy officer of Heirs Technologies, Folake Owodunni CEO/co-founder of Emergency Response Africa, and Bode Abifarin founder/CEO of Strata.
The women on this panel recounted how they got into leadership roles. Bode spoke on her leadership experiences saying the more diverse your experiences the better your leadership will be. Antoinette also spoke on the skills and expertise that are essential for leadership. Drawing from her non-technical background she emphasised the importance of curiosity, research, and voracious reading in building skills.
Samira advised women on overcoming moments of career stagnancy. She identified stagnancy as more of a feeling than a reality. To defeat it requires a mindset shit.
Oluwafemi touched on unconventional/lesser-known skills for navigating the male-dominated tech space. She spoke on the importance of emotional maturity, mentorship, and seeking feedback. She also emphasised the importance of visibility stating that it is not only important to do the work but it is crucial that the right people see the work.
Aurora Tech Award winner, Folake advised on how to handle imposter syndrome in a male-dominated field.
The panellists also gave useful advice on nurturing young professional women, how women can be part of emerging technologies and the future of tech, and passed on lessons they wish they had gotten when they started their careers.
Middleman startup wins the fifth PitchHER grand prize
The fifth-anniversary celebration also included the PitchHER competition sponsored this year by Flutterwave.
PitchHER is Wetech’s annual competition for female founders. The award is given to the most promising female-founded startup after a thorough selection process that culminates in a pitch at the Wetech conference main stage.
Judges for this year’s competition were Oluwadunni Fanibe, ex-program manager at Techstars, Tosin Faniro-Dada, partner at Breega, Amaka Opara, founding partner of WEAV Capital, Tosin Ademokoya, investment professional at Octerra Capital, and Lamide Akinola, general manager at Glovo Nigeria.
The contest saw pitches from Ngozi Nwabueze, founder/CEO of Pocket Lawyers an all-in-one legal tech product helping lawyers digitise their practice; Esther Eruchie founder/CEO FriendnPal the first AI mental health platform in Africa, Ruby Ihekweme Founder/CEO Digitaley drive, an edtech platform, Omolara Sanni cofounder of Middleman an escrow payment platform for commerce, and Uchechi Arinze cofounder/CEO of WaffleAI an AI chatbot that turns conversations into sales for businesses.
After each pitch, the judges asked clarifying questions from the founders. After deliberating, the winning pitch was decided and Middleman won the ₦4 million grand prize.
Besides the panels on the main stage there were other breakout sessions on;
- Mastering tech interviews in an AI driven world
- The art of design: creating inclusive and accessible products.
- Sustainable business practices for African startups
The event closed with presentations from Wetech’s 2024 partners:
Gold sponsors
Aurora Tech Award by inDrive: an annual global prize established by inDrive to recognize and empower women entrepreneurs in IT.
inDrive is a leading global mobility and urban services platform which operates in over 700 cities across 45 countries on 5 continents. With more than 150 million downloads, inDrive is ranked second globally among mobility services on both the Play Store and App Store.
The call for applications for this year’s Aurora Tech Award is now open until November 21st. Click here to apply.
ICP Hub Sahara: Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) is a groundbreaking blockchain platform enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective decentralized applications. With features like Chain Fusion for cross-chain interoperability and customizable Subnets, ICP powers Web3 innovation, real-world asset tokenization, and advanced digital solutions.
Bronze sponsors
International Breweries PLC of AB InBev: International Breweries Plc is part of AB InBev. Through the International Breweries Foundation, they enrich communities and foster sustainable growth by empowering entrepreneurs.
Standard Chartered: With a legacy of over 160 years, Standard Chartered has been at the forefront of driving sustainable economic growth across the globe. The company provides banking and investment services to individuals and businesses.
Archangel Fund: Archangel Fund is at the forefront of building a more equitable ecosystem for women entrepreneurs across Africa and its diaspora. By investing in and supporting women-led startups, they drive innovative solutions that have the power to transform communities and change lives.
Strategic partners
Heirs Technologies: a leading innovator in the tech space, dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive digital transformation across industries. With a focus on excellence and a commitment to empowering businesses, Heirs Technologies leverages advanced technology to create impactful, scalable solutions.
Spurt!: a dynamic consultancy firm dedicated to accelerating growth in emerging markets through innovative business solutions
Exhibition partner
AnitaB.org: AnitaB is dedicated to building a tech world that mirrors the diversity of its users. They empower women and nonbinary technologists through programs that inspire, connect, and support their growth in technical fields. By collaborating with organizations and academic institutions, AnitaB helps individuals reach their full potential.
PitchHER sponsor
Flutterwave: a leading American fintech that empowers global merchants with innovative payment solutions. The company is elevating startup ideas from the PitchHer contest with a 4 million naira funding prize at Wetech 2024.
Founder mixer sponsor
WEAV Capital: Founded by Amaka Okechukwu Opara, WEAV Capital supports bold female founders across Africa.
More Wetech 2024 conference pictures below
