As the eBusinesslife International Girls in ICT Day holds tomorrow, Thursday, April 22, 2021, more corporate organisations have come to align with the campaign geared at sensitising young girls to take up career paths that are related to ICT.
The event which is slated to hold at Oriental Hotel has attracted support from MTN Nigeria, Galaxy Backbone, VDT Communications, Inq Digital, SystemSpecs and Caleb Ayanwusi Foundation.
Nigeria’s telecommunication regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has earlier taken the lead as a partner to the event.
Themed: “Expand Horizons, Change Attitudes: Breaking Gender Norms in Career Choices,” the event is part of a global campaign to encourage young girls to delve into ICT as a profession and contribute their quota to the growth of the industry in Nigeria while also actualising self-development.
To be chaired by the Founder and Executive Director, Cybersafe Foundation, Constance Staveley, the eBusiness Life International Girls in ICT Day celebration, which is in its 10th edition, will see students from select secondary schools converge for seminar and competition.
Also, a roundtable discussion, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals, will be part of the events lined up for the day.
It is expected that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, will be the Special Guests of Honour, with other government officials in support.
Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communication and convener of the event, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, said the need to sensitise young girls is premised on the fact that society has unconsciously relegated the female gender and delegated careers in technical fields, especially in ICT, to their male counterparts.
She called on corporate bodies and the society at large to recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.
“We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse,” Emuophedaro said.
She further noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wide range of options and contribute their quota in the industry.
Emuophedaro stated that pursuant to the International Girls in ICT Day celebration and the subsequent campaign will further open up opportunities for girls in the ICT sector.
Speaking further, she noted that supporting the global Girls in ICT movement empowers girls and young women, giving them the confidence to pursue ICT studies and careers. “Girls and young women have the potential not only to become ICT users but also to become ICT creators.”
She had earlier called on corporate bodies and the society at large to recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.
“We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse,” she stated.
Emuophedaro further noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wide range of options and contribute their quota in the industry.
A statement from the organisers concerning the partners for the event indicates that they are socially responsible corporate organisations that have played well in their respective sectors.
International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative launched through an ITU Resolution with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of ICT.
In the past nine years, eBusiness Life had organised the event annually in Nigeria, gathering young girls from different schools, to educate and sensitize them on the opportunities inherent in professions in ICT, and providing a platform for organisations to synergise on complementary ways to further the cause.
Also, the girls had been made to go through hands-on training on various aspects of ICT and facility visits to ICT companies to get the first-hand experience of the intricacies of the ICT firms.
Organisers of the event said strict COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed at the venue of the event.
