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IWD: TeKnowledge convenes industry leaders to champion women’s role in Africa’s digital future
In a gathering to mark International Women’s Day, TeKnowledge brought together some of Africa’s most influential voices in technology, finance and human capital for an Executive Women in Leadership Brunch in Lagos, anchoring its discussions around a single, pointed theme: “Leadership with Confidence: Women Empowering Africa’s Digital Leap.”
The event, hosted by Stephanie Imohede, Africa Skilling Leader at TeKnowledge, drew accomplished executives whose careers span different sectors. The session was moderated by Aileen Allkins, President and CEO of TeKnowledge, who set the tone with a challenge directed not just at individuals but at organisations as well.
“Diversity in leadership does not happen by accident. It requires deliberate investment in people, mentorship and opportunity. When organisations create environments where women can grow and lead, the impact extends far beyond the workplace,” Allkins said.
Panelists said adaptability, continuous learning and a collaborative style of leadership are non-negotiable qualities for executives leading organisations through complex change.
Olatomiwa Williams, Chief Growth and AI Officer for the Middle East and Africa at Microsoft, argued that effective leadership in volatile times depends on a willingness to sit with uncertainty while keeping teams aligned around a shared vision. “When teams feel included in the vision, they become champions of transformation rather than resistors of it.”
Williams said: “Leadership in times of change is about helping people understand where the organisation is heading and why their role matters in that journey. The observation drew visible agreement from the room, a reminder that in a continent undergoing a digital transformation as sweeping as Africa’s, the human element of technology adoption remains just as critical as the technology itself.
Speakers urged attendees to invest actively in the next wave of women professionals entering the workforce. Panelists pressed the case for mentorship not as a courtesy but as a professional responsibility, one that multiplies impact well beyond any individual career.
A keynote reflection delivered by Nefi Wole Abu, co-founder of Lane Consulting, brought the morning’s themes into sharp focus. Leadership, she argued, is not a function of seniority or job title but of credibility built over time, relationships nurtured with intention and a clarity of purpose that guides every decision. “Leadership is not simply about the title you hold. It is about the influence you build, the relationships you invest in and the clarity of purpose that guides your decisions,” Abu said.
The session closed with a call for collaboration , a recognition that ensuring women remain central to Africa’s digital future will require coordinated effort from companies, policymakers and individuals alike.
