Women In Tech, Big Impact: Yigakpoa Ikpae reaches 500+ kids

Rebecca Ejifoma

Yigakpoa Ikpae, Head of Marketing, Nigerian-Pidgin Translations Lead at Oppia Foundation, is reshaping what’s possible for children in overlooked spaces in Nigeria. Fueled by empathy and empowered by open-source technology, she’s reimagining education — not just as a system, but as a lifeline.

With a firm belief that every child deserves the right to learn, Yiga has reached over 500 children in the last 18 months and taught them interactive math lessons from Oppia, an open-source edtech nonprofit.

Pooling resources from her friends most times, she personally distributed hundreds of free learning kits including — notebooks, pens, rulers, and math sets — ensuring that children in low-connectivity zones could not just access quality education but also have the necessary starter packs. No internet. No fancy tools. Just compassion, consistency, and code.

But Ikpae’s journey didn’t begin in tech. Over seven years ago, she was already active in classrooms and rural outreaches — volunteering with the Red Cross and other NGOs aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Whether supporting grassroots campaigns or distributing supplies, she was building community-first solutions long before her first pull request. Technology became a bridge — extending her reach and deepening her impact.

At Oppia Foundation, Ikpae is a one-time Co-Lead for the Sub-Saharan Africa Partnerships team. She has localised math lessons for underserved learners across Nigeria with Nigerian Pidgin, often in areas with limited power or internet.

“Tech gave me language. But impact has always been my voice,” she says. “Now I use both.”

Her story isn’t measured in metrics — it’s seen in real lives changed. Take Blessing, a girl supported by Dream From The Slum Initiative, who wanted to learn online but lacked a laptop. Yigakpoa donated one from her own pocket, and in September 2023, her teammates at Oppia ensured it reached Blessing. It was a quiet act of generosity — one of many — and a symbol of how Yiga tries to remove barriers one child at a time.

Beyond education, Yigakpoa’s impact echoes across the tech ecosystem. She’s a former Outreachy intern and a Google Open Source Peer Bonus Awardee, mentoring women and tech newbies through numerous personal 1:1 chats. Through these sessions, she helps emerging technologists navigate open source with confidence and care.

Her technical work spans communities like CHAOSS, Wagtail CMS, and CLENT Africa, blending research, culturally relevant translations, and climate and accessibility advocacy. Her focus is not just building tech, but ensuring it serves real people — especially those historically left behind.

“Open source gave me the tools,” she says. “I’m using them to open doors for others.”

Whether reviewing a pull request or handing out supplies in Ilaje, Yigakpoa brings the same values: generosity, clarity, and conviction. Her work proves that open-source tech doesn’t just build products — it builds futures.