On June 27, 2025, the second day of the AI4Her conference unfolded at Yaba, Lagos, bringing together a vibrant community of women in business, tech, and data. While the first day was entirely virtual, day two featured a hybrid model, allowing both in-person and online participation. The focus was clear: empowering women to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their careers and businesses, rather than fearing it.
The opening keynote was delivered by Ayo Babajide, Head of Data and AI at Flutterwave, with a session titled “AI and the Future of Women-led Businesses.” Addressing widespread fears around job loss due to AI, Ayo offered a different perspective: AI isn’t coming for women’s jobs; it’s here to support them.
“AI is for everybody,” Ayo said. “You don’t have to be a data person or part of a tech group to use it effectively.”
Ayo emphasised that AI could amplify strengths women already possess, particularly multitasking and empathy. Still, she noted that AI is not without its flaws. From biased outputs to a lack of understanding of African contexts, especially the inability to accurately depict African women in visual models or understand local languages, she urged women to approach AI with both openness and critical thinking.
The next session spotlighted financial empowerment through the W Initiative by Access Bank, presented by Gbemisola Ajibulu. She detailed how women-led businesses can access up to ₦100 million in funding, depending on capacity. Beyond funding, the initiative offers training, mentorship, and grants through its Women’s Premier Program.
In a lively chat session, Opeyemi Obadimu, an AI Data Specialist, and Victoria Braimoh, Associate Solutions Engineer at CloudPlexo, demystified the process of integrating AI into small businesses. They stressed the importance of leveraging AI to extract insights from industry experts and shared prompting techniques to help women interact with AI-like professionals.
“They can’t replicate who you are if your business is unique,” Obadimu reminded the audience.
A practical session on personal branding was led by Oluwatoyin Fadipe, Lead HR at Dataleum, emphasising the importance of authenticity and visibility in a digital-first world.
One of the most engaging moments was the pitching session, where selected women-led businesses presented their ideas and received constructive feedback from the audience. It was a space not just for showcasing innovation, but for growth through community critique.
Anita Ojieh, Head of Partnerships (West Africa) at CloudPlexo, closed out the day by offering a suite of resources to support attendees: $5,000 in AWS credits, technical support, cloud optimisation services, and funding guidance. For businesses looking to embed AI directly on their websites, Cloud Plexo offers seamless integration support.
AI4Her underscored the growing role of women not just as adopters of artificial intelligence but as key drivers shaping its future.
