“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful…” Chimanada Ngozi Adichie.
According to Disrupt Africa, only 17.3% of African tech startups have at least one female co-founder, and 11.1% have a female CEO. UNESCO further reveals that in Sub-Saharan Africa, just 28% of women pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), compared to the global average of 30%.
Bridging the gender gap in male-dominated industries like tech is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. Lilac Africa is addressing this challenge by empowering the next generation of exceptional women to become leaders in the tech industry.
Lilac Africa’s unique approach focuses on building communities and unique learning styles, tailored to young, ambitious women’s personalities, interests, and learning areas.
This strategy aligns with research from UN Women, which consistently shows that communities centered on Women’s advancement significantly boosts personal and professional development.
Such communities foster confidence, enhance leadership skills, provide access to opportunities, and create positive societal impact by offering mentorship, networking, and support systems to address gender-specific challenges.
The program adopts an informal learning structure, emphasizing personalized education, retention, and a sense of belonging.
This community-focused model makes the women apply their learning experiences to specific needs while building strong social connections.
In alignment with the International Women’s Day 2025 theme, “Taking Action”, Lilac Africa coordinated a fundraiser themed, “Her Dreams, Her Actions, Her Legacy” to introduce new investors and partners to the initiative of raising a billion naira and the goal to empower 10,000 girls in tech.
With less than 1 in 5 girls in Nigeria having access to a digital device in their home, contributing to 60% of unemployed youths, Lilac Africa highlights an opening for investors to take on a smart economic decision increasing Africa’s GDP by $316 billion.
They will target the raised money towards training expenditure, several accessible innovation hubs, and device empowerment.
The attendees at the fundraiser were Melanie Ayoola, Group Executive Director of Marketing and Sales at Tranter IT, and Joynel Ogbogu, Co-founder of UXWA, Precious Adeshina-Ola, Head of Growth, Supplias, to list a few.
Lilac Africa offers a variety of faculties, including the School of Product, which covers Product Design and Product Management; the School of Engineering, which includes courses like Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Software Development; and the School of Design, which offers Brand Design and Illustrator Design, among others.
For aspiring tech business leaders, the School of Tech Business Leadership provides advanced programs.
These learning tracks offer short on-demand courses, four-month nano-degrees, and year-long full degrees, addressing accessibility, learning intensity, and individual student preferences.
Speaking with one beneficiary of the ed-tech organization, Lynda Jirigho, a product designer at Blumefy, “Lilac Africa has been pivotal in transforming my career. The comprehensive education and support I received not only equipped me with essential skills and knowledge, but also significantly boosted my confidence. This experience has empowered me to achieve both professional success and personal growth”.
Kachi Kalu, Co-founder of Lilac Africa, explains the inspiration behind the initiative:
“Lilac Africa began as a response to the need for a tech school for women. After training about 3,000 individuals in UI/UX design, we conducted a survey and found that 90% of male participants were advancing in design, compared to only 5% of females. When we investigated further, we discovered lack of confidence, insufficient opportunities, self-doubt, and social and cultural biases held the women back. Our focus was on addressing these challenges and creating a lasting solution.”
Bolutife Awakan, Co-founder of Lilac Africa, adds,
“At Lilac, we’re committed to raising the next generation of female tech leaders in Africa. We want to see more women thrive in tech, not falter or give up. By strengthening their minds, confidence, and connections, we aim to replicate the successes we’ve achieved in our careers.”
The Lilac Africa Community welcomes partnerships and accreditation from credible institutions to further its mission of advocating for structured systems, policies, and support for women in tech.
