Silicon Valley Team To Mentor Nigerian Tech Women

Fadekemi Ogunwa, one of the admitted ladies from the first All Female Boot Camp,
works on a project during her training period. | Courtesy Andela

Nigeria will host a 16-member delegation of senior women technology executives and professionals from Silicon Valley, California as part of the TechWomen programme.
These women leaders visiting Nigeria from March 18 to March 23 would mentor young women working in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a statement by the Office of the United States Consulate General stated.

According to the statement, the women represent global organisations such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, Mozilla, Autodesk, WomenCollegeTech, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Juniper Networks, as well as Fairrer Samani Group, Northgate Environmental Management, Jessica Dickinson Goodman Consulting, and the Institute of International Education.
It said members of the delegation included the Head of Mozilla’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Division, Ms. Larissa Shapiro; and the Twitter’s Senior Software Engineer, Ms.  Elizabeth Deng.

Deng, a computer science graduate of the University of Southern California, co-organised “Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Programme” for the micro-blogging website in 2017, the organisers said.
The Director, WomenCollegeTech and former Director of Programmes at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Ames Research Centre in Silicon Valley, Dr. Leedjia Svec, alongside the Principal Geologist/ Chief Operating Officer at Northgate Environmental Management, Ms. Maile Smith, are part of the travelling delegation.
It read in part, “The delegation is working with Nigerian Fellows of the TechWomen programme to carry out mentoring sessions in Lagos and Abuja for young women working in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“During the week-long programme, the delegation will visit non-governmental organisations, private and public enterprises, universities, schools, tech incubators and innovation hubs to expand networks of women in STEM teaching and learning in Nigeria.
“Launched in 2011, TechWomen is an initiative of the Department of State, which supports the United States government’s global commitment to advance the participation of women and girls around the world in the business and technology sectors.
“In addition to sending delegations of American women technology mentors abroad, the TechWomen exchange programme brings young women leaders from the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria to the United States for a professional mentorship at leading technology companies.”

March 20, 2018