The Eko Innovation Center (EIC) has partnered with Africa Agility to train 10,000 girls in technology in Lagos over the next five years as part of efforts to bridge the gender gap in technology and strengthen female participation.
Tagged Girls in Tech Bootcamp Lagos ”, the second edition of the program held this weekend at the Eko Innovation Center which was attended by the governor of the state of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo Olu.
The event was also attended by Victor Gbenga, founder, Eko Innovation Center; Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture; Tunbosun Alake, special advisor, innovation and technology to the governor of the state of Lagos; and Aanu Gopald, founder of Africa Agility.
The event showed the widespread impact the Eko Innovation Center has achieved since it began operating in the state.
Speaking about the Girls in Tech initiative, Victor Gbenga, founder of the Eko Innovation Center, explained that the program aims to democratize opportunities for women in technology.
This year we partnered with Africa Agility to equip young Nigerian women with the necessary digital skills they need to access technology and business opportunities. We trained 100 girls last year and another 100 this year as part of the Girls in Tech initiative.
“These women include college students, the unemployed, and single mothers with no previous computer skills. We prepared them for about a month in the bootcamp which ended with a 3-day hackathon in which they offered technological solutions, “he added.
The Eko Innovation Center focuses extensively on civic technology, working to drive social impact by developing technological solutions to problems faced by governments at the state and regional levels. These include innovations such as those developed at the Lagos smart meters hackathon held last year.
For her part, Africa Agility founder Aanu Gopald said the Bootcamp Girls in Tech goal is to train 10,000 girls over the next five years.
According to her, up to 38 of the 100 bootcamp attendees this year secured a job, 7 went ahead to start their own businesses while a few others work freelance.
Among the innovative solutions presented by the girls at the event, a telemedicine platform for virtual medical appointments and a traffic management system called Track4me.
