WITESA: LASG, MTN Call for Gender-inclusive Environment

Lagos State, MTN and others made a clarion call for gender-inclusive innovation at 5th Womenovate Tech Summit

The Lagos State Government and industry stakeholders have issued a strong challenge to corporate Nigeria and policymakers to move beyond rhetoric and actively prioritize the creation of gender-inclusive environments in the science and technology sectors.

This call took center stage at the fifth edition of the Women in Technology and Engineering Summit (WITESA), which was held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Representing the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake, used the summit to demand immediate collaboration across the tech ecosystem.

“We need to move beyond conversation to collaboration in creating an environment where women can thrive, where they can lead, and where they can innovate,” Alake stated.

He emphasized that for Lagos to maintain its trajectory as a digital hub, innovation must be inclusive, particularly in fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, and renewable energy.

Speaking from an investor’s perspective during one of the panel sessions, Dr. Ponmile Osibo, managing partner at Kokujin, said practical steps are needed to bridge the education gap in term sheets.

These gaps often challenge female founders. He linked this to broader efforts to create a more gender-inclusive investment environment.

He noted that, in his experience, the greatest challenge comes from aligning the goals of investors and founders. This includes ensuring fair access and understanding for both parties.

The summit, organised by Womenovate, reflected a practical response to the government’s call for greater gender inclusion. Speaking at the session, Njideka Jack, general manager, Enterprise Marketing at MTN Business, said MTN has embedded this commitment into its internal policies.

She noted that women make up 41.4 percent of the workforce and 46.4 percent of executive leadership. This provides a data-driven example of gender parity that aligns with the state government’s call for wider private sector adoption.

The WITESA also served as a platform to celebrate the trailblazers who have significantly contributed to the advancement of science and technology in Nigeria.

A prestigious award ceremony, scheduled for 24 June, will honor industry leaders such as Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of Access Holdings PLC and Coronation Group, and Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, CEO of Future Software Resources Limited, whose efforts have actively dismantled barriers to entry.

By recognizing these visionaries, the event not only celebrated past achievements but successfully set a new benchmark for what corporate responsibility and inclusive engineering should look like for the future of Africa.

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