This statement was made with its backing of the 2025 edition of the International Girls in ICT Day campaign being organised by eBusiness Life Communication Limited.

Also, Leading Cybersecurity and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) firm, Digital Encode have also indicated interest in being part of this year’s campaign.

This year’s event, which will hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on May 15, 2025, is part of an annual campaign initiated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to sensitise and encourage young women and girls to delve into ICT and related careers, which have been dominated by the male gender. The 2025 theme will be central on “Girls in ICTs: Bridging ALL Divides for an Inclusive Digital Transformation.”

According to the Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communication and Convener of the event, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, the need to sensitise young girls is premised on the need to shape the future of technology and the roles the female gender will play in this.

In Nigeria, a significant gender disparity exists in the tech industry, with women being underrepresented in both education and employment. Studies show that men are almost twice as likely to pursue computer science and technology careers, and women make up only about 20% of the workforce in the ICT sector.

Mrs. Emuophedaro noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technological and 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.

The support from foremost ICT companies, heavyweights in their sub-sectors, MTN and Digital Encode, underscores the importance of the campaign.

Digital Encode is a leading consulting and integration firm founded in 2003 that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environments and other Information Technology (IT) infrastructures.

Recognised in the industry for its vendor independent perspective, the firm’s expertise lies in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems, also with the concept that a company should run its IT organisation as a business.

MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting over 87 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world.  Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria has been in the forefront of this campaign to build human capacity in Nigeria.

Digital Encode also provides advisory services toward improvements in Information Security Management, Network Security, Vulnerability Management, Penetration Testing, Computer Forensics, Risk Management and Business Continuity Management.

As part of the 2025 event, there will be a practical AI (Robotic) competition among female students from select secondary schools, roundtable discussion, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals, and Schools’ STEM quiz competition, among others.

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.

The ITU declared the 4th (fourth) Thursday of April every year as a special day to celebrate and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in ICT, and the society is reminded to support them in their choice.

This year’s event will have top government and private sector executives in attendance.

Led by the telco’s IT Director, Kemi Ariyo, the session emphasized the need for the rise of influential female role models in driving progress within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

It also served as an avenue to inspire young girls about the vast opportunities within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field.

During the session, Ogo Ofomata, director of Enterprise and Airtel Business and President of the Airtel Women Network, shared insights on the significance of the 2024 commemoration with the students.

“Leadership entails leading yourself to do the things you have to do. With regard to the theme of this year’s International Girls in ICT Day, which is Leadership, our goal is to empower young girls and women to become programmers, coders, designers and to pursue careers in the ICT sector, ultimately becoming leaders in the IT sector,” she said.

The highlight of the event was a thought-provoking session led by Kemi Ariyo, IT Director at Airtel Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of technological knowledge in addressing various global challenges.

In her words,

“The world revolves around technology and everything we do today has to do with technology. You can get into that space by adopting hard work, smart work, and an active involvement in internship programs. In addition, just as technology can be used in music and other sectors, learning technology can help you achieve your goals of problem- solving in this digital age.”

Also speaking at the event, Phanindra Nichanametla, chief financial officer, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel’s tagline ‘A Reason to Imagine’, reassuring the students of Airtel’s commitment to encouraging positive imagination. “A very important note to take home from this event is that Airtel is here to change your imagination and give you opportunities to imagine more,” he said.

Airtel remains committed to promoting initiatives that promote gender equality and diversity in the workplace.

By investing in the education and empowerment of young girls in ICT, Airtel Nigeria continues to pave the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future in the world of technology.