Ventures Africa

Introduction

By Felicia Ochelle

Since 2015 Ventures Africa has featured innovators who tell us where the continent is going. This year, we explore The future of Nigeria’s tech landscape through the eyes of 10 leading women in our newly launched business series, Ventures Africa BizHive.

Over the years, the technology sector remained a road less travelled for women, despite the progress they continue to make in other professional fields. For some, this may have been as a result of the stereotypes which limit women to ‘easier’ jobs. However, there is now an increasing number of amazing women who exemplify the belief that women can contribute immeasurable value in tech.

In this issue, we journey with a new generation of women pioneering tech advancements in Africa’s biggest economy. Each of the individuals we have featured gives a new meaning to the word ‘innovation’ across EduTech, FinTech, Cryptocurrency and Software Development among others, by using a very unique set of skills specific to each category. There are also a number of companies who support this progress by ensuring the implementation of gender specific policies and programmes.

For these 10 women, it all started with much more than defying the norm, instead, it was the realisation that passion, hard work and commitment hold the key to making a true difference.

“Brilliance does not know gender, it does not know race, it does not know age it does not know demography and so brilliance does not discriminate leadership,” Omowale David-Ashiru – Country Director, Andela tells Ventures Africa. It is on this note that we present the game changers in Nigeria’s tech landscape.

We still can’t see into the future, but we spoke with some people who live there…