Stakeholders Appraise Success Rate Of  eBusiness Life Girls In ICT Celebration

Call For More Action On Girls Participation In ICT

By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West, Nigeria

After 13 years of organizing the Girls in ICT Day celebration, a campaign that seeks to mentor young girls to develop interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics); and seek careers in information and Communications Technology (ICT), stakeholders that gathered for the 13th edition which recently held in Lagos, have applauded the successes recorded in Nigeria.

The stakeholders, who also noted that more work needed to be put in, further disclosed the need to have young girls ascribing for roles in ICT as a means of guarding their future and contributing to the growth of all sectors in the economy.

Speaking in her opening remark, Convener and CEO of eBusiness Life Communication Limited, organisers of the campaign, which had girls from 10 different schools in and around Lagos State and corporates from the ICT industry in attendance, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, noted that calls and letters from participating students from past editions of the event were testaments to the impact the campaign was having on Nigerian girls.

“From this very platform, we have been able to raise a lot of girls. Some of them are already working. I have received a good number of mails from them thanking me for how that helped them change their perceptions, and they are now studying ICT-related causes. The numbers are getting better and it will continue to get better. We will continue to do this campaign to see it getting better,” Mrs. Emuophedaro disclosed.

She added: “We cannot gather all the girls in Nigeria in one room, but there is a need to spread the news, even as we are streaming this activity live on YouTube and Instagram.”

Reeling out the figures, she quoted an ITU statistics that showed the progress made, disclosing that since its inception in 2011, there had been 377,000 girls and young women taking up careers in ICT and 11,400 celebrations in over 171 countries, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world.

While encouraging the girls to change the stereotype that bequeathed ICT careers to boys, she noted the abysmal statistics that needed to change. According to her, while women made up about 47 per cent of the global workforce, they were underrepresented in STEM with just 3 per cent of students joining ICT courses globally being women.

This year, the theme, ‘Girls in ICTs: Bridging ALL Divides for an Inclusive Digital Transformation’, underscores the need not just to participate, but to lead the world in digital transformation.

Mrs. Emuophedaro called on corporate bodies, governments and other stakeholders to create a conducive environment and an inclusive tech space for girls everywhere. She also charged the girls to believe in themselves and take up the challenge.

She said: “Do girls use technology? Yes! But that is not all we want. Apart from using, we want them to create technology. Also no matter what sector you are in, you need to have some in-depth knowledge of technology. “

In her global message, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin noted that ITU was committed to empowering 100 million girls with digital stills and called on partnerships to achieve this.

She stated: “We celebrate the power and potentials of girls and young women as leaders, creators and change-makers in the digital age. 189 fewer women than men are using the internet in 2024. That is too many missed opportunities to learn.”

She encouraged governments and corporate organisations to support the campaign to build a crop of girls of the future.

Also speaking at the event, Vertical Head, High Net-worth Individuals, Globacom, Adeboye Adeniji, noted that Globacom believed in the power of Nigeria’s talents, especially the amazing potentials in young, vibrant, brilliant and beautiful girls.

“We live in a world powered by technology, from the phones we use, to the Apps we love, to the networks that connect us, for example, Globacom. ICT is everywhere. You belong in that world, you are the future, not just as users, but as leaders, creators and innovators,” she encouraged the girls.

She further noted that when girls had the tools, the training and the confidence, there was no limit to what they could achieve. She said: “Whether you dream of becoming a Software Engineer, a Robotic Expert, a cyber-security Analyst, or even the next big tech CEO, everything is possible. Don’t let anyone tell you tech is only for boys. That is simply not true. You are smart and smart enough to work in tech, to build your own tech company. You are strong enough, and you have every right to dream as big as you want. So, keep learning, stay curious, ask questions, and never be afraid to try. Because the future of technology isn’t just built in Labs and Boardrooms, it is being built here in classrooms like yours. From all of us in Globacom, we believe in you, we support you, and we can’t wait to see how you change the world.”

In her presentation, Head, Cybersecurity & Compliance Advisory, Digital Encode, Bisola Oladejo, encouraged the girls to stay on top of any career path they might choose, and to research the available options in the field of ICT, as there were so many career paths in ICT.

Speaking on why girls mattered in ICT, she said they brought uniqueness and colour, making Apps interesting.

She also noted that ICT was important to girls because it afforded and empowered them with skills, opportunities and confidence to thrive in a digital world, breaking gender barriers and unlocking social and economic potentials.

Furthermore, she however, noted the root causes of low female participation in ICT to include, limited STEM education in schools; social media distraction; low funding, lack of adequate access to internet and ICT gadgets; gender bias from families; cyber-bullying, among others.

She called on governments to formulate deliberate initiatives that targeted female inclusivity in ICT, and to partner with NGOs and ease private sector initiatives.

The event saw the girls compete in STEM Quiz competition, Robot programming competition and Students’ Roundtable, winning prices and receiving gifts from the organisers.

Also, Awards were also given to two deserving women in ICT – Funmilola Victoria Omojola (ICT Touch Holder Award) and Dr. Nihinlola Mary Fafore (ICT Advocacy Award).

The International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that seeks to bridge the gender divide in ICT related careers by encouraging girls to build a foundation that will position them in tech-related jobs of the future.