In a recent event focused on technology and entrepreneurship in schools, Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, along with the non-governmental organization Odyssey Education Foundation (OEF), called on President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize digital literacy and entrepreneurship for girls.
This initiative aims to combat the high unemployment rate in Nigeria.
During the event, Minister Tallen emphasized the significance of digital technology in the era of globalization and expressed concern over the low participation of Nigerian women in tech-related fields.
The Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2020 revealed that only 12% of professionals in cloud computing and 26% in engineering are women.
Representing Minister Tallen, Iweanya Priscilla, the Chief Welfare Officer of the Ministry of Women Affairs, highlighted the importance of encouraging girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
She stated that empowering girls in these areas would not only make them role models for future generations but also break stereotypes and barriers.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has launched an awareness campaign to promote girl-child education, especially in STEM.Nigeria must prepare its girls to seize ICT opportunities by providing them with the necessary training in ICT development and computer science for successful careers in the sector,” said Priscilla.
Stella Uzochukwu-Denis, Founder of Odyssey Educational Foundation and Chapter Ambassador of Technovation Girls in Abuja, also emphasized the need to promote technovation among girls.
The foundation aims to increase the number of females studying and applying for STEM jobs in Nigeria while striving to close the gender gap.
The foundation organized a pitch event in technology and entrepreneurship for schools to honor the accomplishments of young girls who created mobile apps addressing pressing societal issues.
These apps focused on encouraging girl-child education, offering mentorship, combating human trafficking, ending early marriages, and providing basic necessities to the underprivileged in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Technovation challenge, an initiative that encourages young women to utilize technology for social impact, has played a vital role in empowering girls to address various societal challenges, including education gaps, poverty, gender inequality, corruption, and environmental disasters.
Participants, such as Olorunfemi Faith, praised the program for its ability to enhance their technological and innovative skills.
Faith emphasized that joining Technovation provides enterprising and problem-solving skills, enabling women to bridge the gender gap prevalent in the tech industry.
She urged others to participate in Technovation for a brighter future and to become effective problem solvers.
