Feature Image: Taiwo Judah-Ajayi, Director of People at Andela giving the opening remarks at the first Andela Women In Tech Summit at EPIC Tower, Andela Nigeria’s Office, on Saturday.
Andela, the company that is building a network of technology leaders on the African continent, on Saturday March 10th 2018 hosted the Andela Women in Technology Summit 2018. The event, in celebration of International Women’s Day, further reinforces Andela’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
The conference, hosted at EPIC Tower in Lagos, led with the theme ‘Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders.’ Over 100 women in tech and business met to take part in lively discussion and debate with Andela’s female executives, senior technologists and developers, including Taiwo Judah Ajayi [Director of People and Culture], Jessica Akano [Talent Acquisition Manager], Feyikemi Olabiyi [Product Manager] and Mercy Orangi [Technology Leadership Evangelist]. They were also joined by Lagos’ leading female tech influencers including Keynote Speaker Chika Uwazie [COO, EnterFive], alongside Esther Olatunde [CTO & Engineering Lead at Tress App], Moyinoluwa Adeyemi [Android Engineer at OffGrid Electric], Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola [General Manager, LASPARK Lagos] and Neku Atawodi [General Manager, MEST], who discussed the role of stakeholders and leaders in promoting diversity in the tech community. The event concluded with a fireside chat, named after the theme, with Simi Nwogugu [Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria] and moderated by Oluwasola Obagbemi [Communications Manager, Andela].
Since launching in 2014, Andela has played an instrumental role in paving the way for women in the tech industry through its commitment to attracting and developing female talent. The company’s various initiatives include multiple all-female recruitment cycles as well as building safe and empowering communities for women in tech, such as Tech in Pink and Ladies in Tech.
Taiwo Judah Ajayi, Director of People at Andela, says: “A lack of a strong, cohesive culture is holding the tech industry back from building more female leaders and executives, which is why the leading women in tech need to start the discussions and ask how we, as women in tech, can inspire other women to be future leaders.”
“The aim of the Women in Tech Summit is to celebrate how far women have come in the tech ecosystem and to connect women in tech — both leaders and aspirants. And what better time to do this than on the week of International Women’s Day? The women interested in pursuing a career in tech are many, but the mentors and investors are few. Now is the time to have an open discussion on how we can stop our future leaders from slipping through the cracks. Today, we are building the biggest platform yet for women technologists and calling for more people to invest in tomorrow’s leaders.”
Since launching operations in 2014, Andela has received more than 75,000 applicants and accepted over 600 software developers, of which 26% are female (compared to the global average of 7%). The company aims to make the Women in Tech Summit an annual landmark event in celebration of International Women’s Day.
