​​​​​​eBusiness Life Communication Limited in Collaboration with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC)​

Lagos, Nigeria, 2016, April 28​​

The fifth edition of the International Girls in ICT Day in Nigeria was celebrated on Thursday, April 28, 2016 by e-Business Life Communication Limited in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Just like 2015, we had all our activities in one day. The event took place at the Lagos Oriental Hotels, Lekki-Lagos.  A total of 120 Senior Secondary School (SS1) Girls (equivalent of Grade 10) from12 schools attended from both government (public) and private schools across Lagos state.

The theme of this year's edition was in line with ITU's theme "Expanding Horizons, Changing Attitudes."  Activities of the day included talks by the Minister of Communications Technology, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, a keynote address by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo. The EVC enjoined the girls to

Other Speakers were the Country Manager of Google Nigeria, Mrs. Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, Country Manager, Verve International, Mrs. Oremeyi  Akah, Chief Executive Officer, MainOne Company, Funke Opeke, who was represented by the company's marketing manager, Jumoke Akande as well as an IP Design Engineer at Vodacom Business Nigeria, who is also one of the few women in Nigeria with a CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert), Linda Azah These seasoned professionals took time to demystify careers in technology and made the young girls see why a career in technology is worth considering by telling their own stories.

We had two competitions: Quiz and Application Development Competitions, which ran simultaneously. The girls were made to create their own application that could solve pressing problems in society and came up with fantastic applications. The winning application was designed to address the problem of SMS for blind users. The Quiz competition was focused on STEM subjects. Prizes were presented to the firs three winners of both the quiz and app development competitions.

In continuation of what we began in 2013, the induction of deserving women ICT professionals into the Tech Women Hall of Fame (Award Ceremony); five women were inducted this year. They include, the Country Manager of Google Nigeria, Mrs. Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, Executive Secretary/CEO, Electronic Payment Providers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Onajite Regha, President, Nigerian Women in Technology, Dr. Adeola Ilechukwu; An IP Design Engineer at Vodacom Business Nigeria, who is also one of the few women in Nigeria with a CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert), Linda Azah and Country Manager of Verve International, Mrs. Oremeyi Akah.

From the feedback forms filled out by the students and guests, participants at the event unanimously agreed that no career should be regarded as "made for men". Females all over the world should challenge themselves to do the unimaginable, achieve the unthinkable and bridge the gender digital gap with passion in whatever they do.