Tech leaders urge women to seize opportunities

Women leaders in the tech industry have said that it is important for women to do hard things and not shy away from taking up space.

They said this during a panel session themed, ‘Expanding Growth and Influence of Women in Tech,’ at FirstBank’s Nigeria Fintech Festival 2024. The speakers on the panel shared their experiences and perspectives on the importance of confidence-building and strategic thinking for women pursuing careers in technology.

Adaobi Igwe-Okerekeocha, chief innovations officer at Interswitch, urged women to seize opportunities when they arise. “If you feel like you can take advantage of a particular opportunity, take it. As a woman, don’t be timid. You should target opportunities where women have a strategic advantage,” she said.

She also highlighted the underfunding of female founders compared to their male counterparts, stressing that “it starts from the grassroots, how parents mentor their kids and teach them to seize opportunities regardless of gender.”

Rachel Adeshina, First Bank’s chief technology officer, noted the need for more female mentors to inspire younger generations.

She said, “Mentorship is critical because it shows young women that achieving great things is possible.” She added that success in technology requires persistence and preparation: “The world won’t just hand things to you because you asked. They’ll give it to you because you have what it takes. Women should not settle for low-hanging fruits.”

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Igwe-Okerekeocha of Interswitch emphasised the need for mentorship to be more intentional, “Mentorship is a nice word, but we have to make it more deliberate. We need to be more authentic in these conversations, sharing the struggles, not just the successes.”

Ibifaa Maclayton, PayU’s commercial lead, encouraged women to embrace confidence and authenticity. “When we find ourselves in opportunities like this, don’t hesitate to speak about yourself,” she said.

Maclayton urged women to “build confidence and the willingness to show up,” noting that gender stereotypes will always exist, but it’s essential to rise above them.

She stressed that women should not be afraid to step up and take ownership of opportunities, stating, “There is nothing lost when a woman puts herself out there.”

Adeshina of First Bank echoed these sentiments, adding that the path to success in technology is not easy.

“Technology is clear about direction. We spoke about AI earlier. Building AI models from scratch requires a lot of cerebral input. It’s not PowerPoints or Excel sheets—it is you whether you are ready to pay the price,” she explained.

Adeshina encouraged women to push beyond their comfort zones and be willing to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts, particularly in tech leadership roles.

Maclayton of PayU reiterated that confidence is key to breaking barriers, “You may be the best performer on your team, but you won’t get the leadership role unless you show up. Women need to understand that while there are gender stereotypes, you need to take responsibility for showing up and taking up space.”