Techpreneurs, Influencers expose young generation to emerging opportunities, preach Gender parity

Young entrepreneurs, freelancers and tech enthusiasts have been exposed to a host of new opportunities which they can explore in Nigeria’s fast expanding tech industry. These emerging opportunities which include Blockchain technology, Data science, Robotics and Virtual Reality are proving to be the cash cow for savvy techpreneurs operating in Nigeria.

Beyond the profitability associated with these new opportunities, young female entrepreneurs who garner the requisite skill, knowledge and capacity to take advantage of these trends would have strategically positioned themselves for a slice of the pie in the male dominated tech industry.

Nigeria’s vibrant tech space is clearly male dominated, thus, there is a need for more active female participation to ensure the industry attains some level of gender parity in the near future; where women can occupy mid and high-level positions in ICT firms.

These were some of the submissions of Tech experts and Social media influencers who spoke at a recent forum organized by Wennovation Hub to commemorate this year’s edition of Girls in ICT Day. The forum which held at the organization’s Lagos campus also offered young and upcoming techpreneurs the opportunity to gain detailed insights into the numerous roles technology can play as a catalyst for growth across most sectors of the economy.

Futhermore, the distinguished speakers also agreed with the United Nations position that supporting the education of women and girls in the ICT sector is in tandem with the fifth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); which aims to achieve gender equality by empowering women and girls across the world.

Delivering her address at the forum, Dr. Deepa Ramachandran, a lecturer from Rice University in Texas agrees with the United Nations assertion, explaining that since women are major beneficiaries of the SDGs, the onus is on them to take up critical roles as implementers and innovators in ensuring the targets of the SDGs are met, with specific reference on the fifth target.

Tobi Ayeni, Founder, misstechy.com in response to questions, urged young entrepreneurs to consider the internet as an enabler in seeking, analyzing and monitoring trends in the tech space. Narrating how she leveraged on the internet to research about her sector before launching her website, she advised aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to take advantage of the internet and do due diligence on any venture they plan delving into.

On her part, Farida Saliu-Bello, Trademark associate, Banwo and Ighodalu Law Firm stated that with technology currently playing a very prominent role in the business community across the globe, most sectors of the economy are increasingly opening opportunities for young entrepreneurs. “For instance in the legal sector, we are seeing a rise in demand for skills in protection of innovators’ ideas, patents, trademarks, etc. We have also seen individuals create some sort of identity for themselves as Fashion Lawyers, Photography Lawyers, etc,” Bello said.

According to her, these opportunities will continue to expand, however, only female entrepreneurs who have the requisite ICT skills and knowledge will benefit from the emergence of these new roles.

Lukman Ibrahim, Convener, Deeptech Africa, encouraged participants to equip themselves with emerging skills that would increase their viability in their quest to secure employment opportunities in the ICT sector.

The forum ended with remarks from Bolanle Olumekor, Knowledge Management Assistant, United Nations Information Centre, Lagos Office who appreciated the speakers for their contribution and their continued impact in the tech space.