A memorandum of understanding signed by Sterling Bank and Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev) recently is aimed at empowering 5 million women with digital skills.
Tech4Dev, a nonprofit social enterprise runs a Women Techsters initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide between men and women in the technology ecosystem by empowering 5 million women across Africa with digital and deep tech skills by 2030.
Following the partnership, Sterling Bank becomes an experiential learning partner for the initiative.
Tech4Dev is currently in partnership with Microsoft to empower 10,000 women in 2021 across five African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt.
“Gender equality is at the heart of what we do at Tech4Dev and is a huge part of our Women Techsters initiative,” said Oladiwura Oladepo, Tech4Dev’s Co-Founder and Executive Director. “We are delighted about forward-thinking organizations like Sterling Bank, who are thinking of what the workforce will look like in the next two, three, five years and the importance of gender balance within the ecosystem. At the end of the internship period, we want Sterling Bank to be able to say they got value from the interns.”
Read also: Ikenna Nzewi: Leveraging technology to change Africa’s food processing narrative
Some of the Women Techsters Fellows across the 5 countries on the continent are presently in the final week of their intensive training and will be direct beneficiaries of this partnership with Sterling Bank on a 6-month internship period with the company.
“Diversity is not a compliance agenda, it is an intentional strategy. Internship for us is also intentional. We are interested in any project that grows the ecosystem like the Women Techsters initiative,” said Olayinka Oni, Chief Digital Officer at Sterling Bank.
Present at the signing was a diverse team from both Sterling Bank and Tech4Dev, making mention of Olayinka Oni – Chief Digital Officer, Sterling Bank ; Chigozie Anyasor – Head, Enterprise Solutions Engineering, Sterling Bank; Dipo Adebajo – Head, Organisation Development and Talent Acquisition, Sterling Bank; Oluwakunmi Idowu – Talent Acquisition Partner (Internship desk), Sterling Bank ; Oluwadamilola Pillot – Team Lead, Talent Acquisition, Sterling Bank ; Oluwafemi Ehindero – Team Lead, Org. Development and Change Management, Sterling Bank; Oladiwura Oladepo – Executive Director, Tech4Dev; Yemisi Arowosafe – Communications Lead, Tech4Dev; Joy Uche – Women Techsters Program Associate, Tech4Dev.
