Nahimah Ajikanle Nurudeen
The 6th edition of the International Girls in ICT Day Celebration is gathering steam as key stakeholders in the industry have lined up to partner with eBusiness Life Limited in its bid to create awareness among young girls on the need to take up careers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Vodacom Business Nigeria one of the major partners in the previous editions of the event has indicated their interest to be part of this year’s campaign.
This year’s event, scheduled to hold in Lagos on Tuesday May 23, 2017 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, the 6th edition since eBusiness Life joined the annual campaign in 2012, is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) geared at sensitizing young girls and encouraging them to take up ICT as a career.
Vodacom’s support is borne out of the quest to ensure that the Nigerian girl child is presented with all options available in shaping her career and ensuring that the profession of ICT is demystified among females.
The company has consistently been engaged in the development of human capital and in contributing positively to the community in which it operates through various initiatives. The partnership with eBusinesslife is one of such vehicles that will help the operator achieve its goals.
Speaking on the partnership, Marketing Manager, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Anne Ihugba noted: “At Vodacom, one of our business principles is contributing to communities in which we operate; so this event is one of the many avenues, we believe, fulfils part of this obligation. Based on this, we are happy to inform you that we will partner with your organization this year as a sponsor”.
Last year, Vodacom also organised a workshop for school that won the competition at the event, as a means of furthering the cause of the partnership. The workshop was a post-benefit activity for the students, which the company affirms will also be part of this year’s post event activity.
“We will invite the winning school to a one day Field Trip to Vodacom Business Nigeria to learn about new technologies and how they can contribute to the development of Nigeria using these technologies.”
According to the chief executive officer of eBusiness Life Communication, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, the need to sensitise young girls is premised on the fact that the society has unconsciously relegated the female gender and delegated careers in technical fields, especially in ICT, to their male counterparts.
According to her, effort should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wider range of options and contribute their quota in the industry and in the development of the economy.
She stated that the International Girls In ICT Day workshop and attending campaign will further open up opportunities for girls in ICT sector.
As part of the 2017 event, there will be students’ training on basic robotics and graphic design competition between female students from select secondary schools, roundtable discussions, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals, among others.
The event will also form a platform for participating companies to network and find areas of complementary.
At the end of the event, it is expected that the young students should be able to introspect and pursue any desired career path in ICT, technical or not, without bias, or being gender conscious.
The motive of this campaign is not to force these young and budding girls into a profession which is currently dominated by men. However, it tends to present and demystify the ICT profession, making them realize the need and intrigues of the profession.
The idea will also expose their hidden abilities to tackle the challenges that were faced and surmounted by some other women who are already excelling in and enjoying the profession.
International Girls’ Day is an initiative launched through ITU Resolution 70 with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies.
e-Business Life Communication, publisher of the monthly Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Magazine, was incorporated to bringing better information that would link users and service providers as well as enable Nigeria take its pride of place among the comity of nations in the new global economy by furthering the cause of ICT.
