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By Chinenye Anuforo
The Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIIT) is set for its seventh national conference, which encompasses the 10th anniversary and eighth AGM of the association, billed for June 22 – 23, 2022,at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
The president of the association, Dele Bayo-Osibo, stated that Nigerian Women for Information Technology is an interest group of Nigerian Computer Society with the responsibility to ensure that the need of women have to be catered for, adding that they are also IT technicians.
Explaining how the two-day event will run, Osibo said, “We are combining the three events because of the tensed situation in the country now. Politics and election are drawing close, but at the end of the day, we will have our 7th annual national conference. We are trying to be conservative about all we do.”
With the, “Unleashing Innovations, Scaling Up Digital Skills fFor Women & Girls”, Osibo said the association had carefully selected professionals from different fields for the panel session that will be moderated by the country leader of Microsoft Nigeria, while Funke Opeke will be the keynote speaker.
According to her, “there will be paper presentation and we have invited resource person who will take participants on free practical training on information technology. That is why our targetted audience in this conference are woman, young ladies who have interest in information technology and also understand that IT is a leverage every woman must follow. We have also contracted medical personnel who will conduct free cancer screening. Insurance experts will be there to create awareness and other professionals on mortgages and whole lot. It is a pack-full event.”
She added that the association will also conduct induction of new members before the AGM on June 23. “There will be awards given to those who have contributed immensely to the success of the association. It is full page programme,” she said.
Furthermore, Osibo said the association has considered the economic situation of the country and has been very careful to tailor the pricing. However, she stated that for non-members of the association, the cost is N25,000, saying “if compared to the knowledge and packages participants will receive, you will discover that amount is nothing.”
Speaking on the vision of the association, Osibo said the association’s vision is to involve as many women as possible in information technology. “The detail of where we are as a country and a world is that IT has become a leverage for everything that everybody does. Now it has become a very digital world.
“We have achieved a lot of advocacy, we have gone round to different places to talk about the need to energise women digitally. We have raised entrepreneurial spirit of women. Our mandate also covers women and the girl child. We have a future plan to train the girl child in secondary schools in the area of robotics.
“As an association, we have a national office and then every state of Nigeria has a branch, and this has enabled us to reach far and wide. Presently, we have 18 chapters and we will continue to expand to reach all parts of the country. Before now, we have collaborated with some organisations to carry out empowerment programmes in our secondary and university institutions.”
