How the MannyVille Series is driving digital equity, access in Africa

Cynthia Uduma was scrolling through Instagram one evening when she stumbled upon a live session of the MannyVille Series. That moment became the turning point in her journey into tech.

“Joining the MannyVille Series was transformative for my career,” Uduma said.

“After the live event, my interest in Artificial Intelligence was piqued, and I began to actively pursue it as a career path. The opportunity equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to transition to the IT division at my workplace. Later, I secured a scholarship for a master’s program in Artificial Intelligence in the United Kingdom.”

Uduma’s story is a testament to how the MannyVille Series connects young Africans to invaluable resources and mentorship, empowering them to achieve their dreams in the digital age.

Another inspiring example is Mayowa Agoro, whose cybersecurity career was propelled by the program’s support. Mayowa had started her journey through the Cybersafe Foundation’s Cyber Girls program but faced challenges completing labs and practical exercises due to a faulty laptop.

“Joining a MannyVille session on Instagram changed everything,” she recalls. After contributing to the discussion, Mayowa was selected to pitch for a laptop, which she won. With it, she prepared for exams and advanced her career.

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Beyond the laptop, Mayowa benefited from a clarity session with Emmanuel Asika, the Chief Griot of the MannyVille Series, where she set actionable goals. She also gained access to comprehensive tech courses through the Single Click Academy and participated in a live boot camp that honed her soft skills, such as time management.

Mayowa’s story shows how the MannyVille Series has been a beacon of empowerment, offering young Africans resources, mentorship, and opportunities to thrive in the digital economy.

The MannyVille Series is a monthly virtual tech event designed to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria by equipping youth through storytelling, mentorship, and access to resources. The goal is to enable young Africans to compete in the global tech market.

As a subset of the larger initiative, ITAV Limited, the series has featured numerous tech experts, including Confidence Staveley, Miss Techy, Olusola Amusan, Ola Williams, Ify Afe, and Kagan Tech, among many others. These speakers have covered diverse topics such as cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and tech content creation, impacting over 10,000 young Africans.

Through the Single Click Academy (SCA), its educational platform, the MannyVille Series also provides devices, internet access, and digital literacy training. This approach ensures young Africans are equipped to pursue tech skills and opportunities in the digital age.

Emmanuel Asika, the Chief Griot of the MannyVille Series, describes the initiative’s mission, “Through platforms like the MannyVille Series, we’ve worked tirelessly to equip aspiring tech professionals with the tools, insights, and confidence they need to thrive, one individual at a time. It’s a journey, not a destination, and though it’s not yet ‘Uhuru,’ we press forward with resilience and hope.”

Reflecting on the inspiration for the MannyVille Series, Asika’s passion for community and equity becomes evident.

“I grew up in an environment where community was everything. My childhood was shaped by the African ethos of ‘It takes a village’, a shared responsibility for progress and a belief that no one succeeds alone. Born to Igbo parents in Kaduna, raised in a melting pot of cultures, and later building my own family in Lagos, I experienced firsthand how tribe and religion were secondary to connection and contribution.

“This upbringing instilled in me a lifelong commitment to building bridges—not just cultural, but digital. Ensuring access, equity, and opportunity are realities, not privileges.”

Asika’s dedication was solidified at a tech conference in Edo State, where he pledged two laptops to help jumpstart two lives. “The immediacy of impact and the ripples of change that followed showed me what was possible,” he noted.

“What began as a conversation quickly evolved into a movement, one dedicated to bridging the digital divide and empowering communities. From there, MannyVille and SCA were born, driven by the belief that Africa’s digital readiness begins one person at a time.”

As the MannyVille Series continues to grow, its impact on the lives of young Africans is undeniable. Through storytelling, mentorship, and direct interventions, the initiative is not only closing the digital divide but also inspiring a generation to dream bigger, work smarter, and achieve more in the global tech ecosystem.

For Cynthia, Mayowa, and all others beneficiaries, the MannyVille Series is more than a virtual event, it is a lifeline, and a bridge to a brighter future.