8 total views today
By Ijeoma Olorunfemi, News Agency of Nigeria
On March 8, annually, the International Women’s Day is celebrated to recognise women’s achievements across various fields.
The commemoration, with the theme “Accelerate Action’’, is designated by the UN to advocate for gender equality and highlight challenges faced by women.
In Nigeria, women play a vital and indispensable role in nation-building; their contributions are multi-faceted.
From technology, economic empowerment, education, healthcare, social cohesion, leadership and decision-making, peace building and conflict resolution as well as cultural preservation– women’s contributions are invaluable.
By demographics, women make up approximately 49 per cent of Nigerian population.
Constituting nearly half of the country’s population, it is imperative that women’s contributions are recognised, valued and appreciated.
In light of the aforementioned, Huawei Technology recently identified with the 2025 International Women’s Day and honoured female tech enthusiasts.
Huawei organised an event to celebrate outstanding female students who excelled in the Huawei ICT Academy and the Women in Tech training programme.
The programme, held in partnership with the Office of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, had the title “Cultivating Talent Through ICT Training for a Prosperous Nigeria.’’
It emphasised the importance of expediting progress toward achieving gender equality and promoting inclusive growth.
The ceremony paid tribute to women who have achieved outstanding success in their ICT training, affording them an opportunity to share their accomplishments and serve as role models, motivating and empowering the next generation of women in technology.
Mr Eric Chen, Huawei Nigeria Strategy Director, said the company provided capacity building and ICT training to more than 70,000 Nigerians since 2018.
Chen said that the breakdown revealed that the beneficiaries comprised more than 30,000 students, 35,000 ICT engineers, 240 female entrepreneurs and more than 3,000 civil servants, showcasing a diverse range of individuals impacted.
He emphasised Huawei’s significant role in supporting the present administration’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, primarily through its ICT Academy.
Chen reaffirmed the company’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation in agreement with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda which aims at fostering economic growth and development.
The director said the company’s academy provided students with an international platform for healthy competition and exchange of ideas, with special focus on women at the time.
He said that the Women in Tech Training in partnership with the First Lady of Nigeria empowered women entrepreneurs with tech and digital skills for economic growth and development.
“We celebrate the achievements of female participants in our ICT Academy and Women in Tech initiative, in collaboration with the First Lady’s Office.
“We remain committed to empowering women in ICT and leveraging their potential to boost Nigeria’s digital growth,” he said.
Mrs Comfort Kabirwa, Director of Policy, Research and Strategy, Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, harped on the crucial need for gender equality in technology.
She urged women to take an active role in ICT to propel Nigeria’s digital economy forward, recognising the immense potential for growth and development that women’s participation in ICT could bring.
According to her, by embracing ICT, women can leverage technology to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic progress, ultimately contributing to a more prosperous and digitally inclusive Nigeria.
Kabirwa pointed out that globally, women make up a mere 26 per cent of the tech workforce, a statistic that highlights the pressing need for greater diversity and inclusion in the industry.
She said there was need for stakeholders to remove obstacles that prevented women from fully participating in the field.
Kariwa said that by addressing the barriers, stakeholders could create a more inclusive and equitable environment that foster women’s growth and success.
“As we celebrate the achievements of these remarkable women, we must also recognise the challenges that persist.
“Women make up only 26 per cent of the global tech workforce, which means there is still a long way to go in bridging the gender gap.
“The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is committed to supporting programmes that expose women to digital technologies, such as the National ICT Girls Empowerment Competition Programme and our partnership with Huawei Technologies.
“As leaders, educators and advocates, we must continue to dismantle barriers that hinder women from thriving in technology.
“The future of Nigeria’s digital economy depends on the inclusivity of its workforce,” Kabirwa said.
Dr Oyin Abiola, Huawei’s Senior Public Relations Manager, underscored the company’s multi-faceted approach to empowering individuals in the field of ICT.
Abiola said that beyond providing training, Huawei also offered tangible opportunities for outstanding students to apply their skills in real-world settings through employment and internship programmes at the company.
The manager said that the company’s comprehensive effort in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation, closely aligned with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
Abiola said that by celebrating women who excelled in ICT, Huawei aimed to inspire others to explore opportunities in the field and remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse digital society.
“We have more than 30,000 students in our ICT Academy across 190 universities and have trained no fewer than 240 women in our Women in Tech programme.
“These young women here today were selected for their exceptional performance and their success stories reaffirm our commitment to nurturing ICT talent in Nigeria,” she said.
The public relations manager said that the initiative sought to position Nigeria as an export hub for talent outsourcing in Africa, thereby towing the path of India, Bangladesh, Mexico and The Philippines.
Sharing their experiences, some of the beneficiaries said the training was worthwhile.
Mrs Elizabeth Achimugu, Founder, Protect the Child Foundation, said her participation in the training empowered her with the knowledge to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) in scaling her organisation’s impact, particularly in advocating for children’s welfare.
Achimugu encouraged women to wholeheartedly adopt technology and harness its potential to their advantage.
She said that technology was not a hindrance, but a tool designed to facilitate and augment human capabilities, particularly for women.
“With technology, you will achieve much more than you will do with manual labour,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Olubukola Taiwo, revealed that the programme enabled her to grasp the fundamentals of AI and effectively integrated it into her business operations.
She said she leveraged AI tools to create engaging visual content such as videos, banners, cards and flyers.
On her part, Imafidon Victoria, a 300-Level Cybersecurity undergraduate at Igbinedion University, credited Huawei’s ICT Academy with having a valuable impact on her academic and professional pursuits.
She said the academy’s provision of valuable certifications at no cost had been particularly instrumental in enhancing her career prospects.
Ogomudia Darlene, another 300-level Software Engineering student at the same institution, described her experience with the programme as an engaging and enriching journey.
She said that the training had significantly broadened her technical skills and knowledge.
The event also showcased Huawei’s ongoing commitment to promoting digital inclusivity, closely aligning with Nigeria’s comprehensive national strategy for technological growth and advancement.
Tech analysts say Huawei’s various initiatives, including the development of local cloud infrastructure, support for key government programmes like the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) initiative, the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), among others are commendable.
They say the initiatives are geared towards collaborating with the government to build a digitally inclined nation. (NANFeatures)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
Published By
