Women in Technology in Nigeria organized a career fair to celebrate the International Girls in ICT Day 2015 which held on 21st April, 2015 at Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.
The event brought together over a hundred girls from several private and public secondary schools in Lagos State, with an exposition of the various career options available in the STEM field. Over 40 different career options in ICT alone were expounded at the fair. During the course of the event, delicate issues relating to the causes of the digital gap were highlighted and these issues were addressed appropriately.
Mrs. Martha Alade, President of Women in Technology, opened the event by emphasizing the need to have more girls in STEM, as there was huge gender parity in most technology companies.
The girls were encouraged and educated by mentors, mothers and women in ICT speakers to employ technology as a tool for global, national and personal development and to build a network of present and future ICT leaders. A memorable aspect of the event was the video conference session the girls had with Mrs. Susan Schorr, Head, Special Initiatives Division, International Telecommunication Union and Ms. Laura Kangas, Coordinator, International Girls in ICT Day 2015. These great women in ICT advised the girls to take advantage of the opportunities in ICT as it is a good profession with limitless openings which can give them a secured future. They congratulated the girls for being a part of the global movement that is taking place simultaneously across the world.
The tutor general and permanent secretary of the Lagos state Ministry of Education, District VI, Mrs. Iyabo Osifeso who was the Mother-of-the-day highlighted the WITIN’s interventions, including the training of teachers in the district and equipping girls with technology.
The event was brought to a close by two females in ICT; Miss. Sowunmi Olaperi and Miss Olamide Ogungbemi, who cheered the girls on; emphasizing that they have the ability to do any course in STEM they desire to do. They encouraged the girls to go for whatever they love and not to be discouraged by the current digital gap. The girls were also made to see the benefits of courses STEM courses and how they apply to national and global development. The event was indeed exciting and served as an eye-opener for the girls.
