Tech Initiative Bridges Gender Gap, Trains 200 Girls in Coding, Software Dev’t

* Targets 1000 in 2026

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

In bridging the gender margin, particularly for school girls and young women, a tech Initiative, AfroTechxcel, has trained 200 girls in coding and software development as part of efforts to contribute to Africa’s technological space.

Beneficiaries, who were drawn from over 14 secondary schools and four primary schools within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Wednesday, showcased technology-driven solutions they had developed to address challenges in their communities.

Speaking at the Computer Training Programme at Government Secondary School Garki, Abuja, the Executive Director of AfroTechxcel, Emerald Akhaumere, unveiled plans to train 1,000 schoolgirls in 2026.

She disclosed that the organisation trained more than 850 girls across Nigeria last year and is expanding the programme to reach 1,000 participants in 2026, beginning with a first cohort of 200 girls.

Revealing that the training was part of events marking the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD), she lamented that although Africa records one of the highest proportions of female STEM graduates globally, about 47 per cent, higher than Europe’s 42 per cent and North America’s 39 per cent, in Nigeria, women still occupy less than 12 per cent of technology leadership positions.

She said the programme is designed to ensure that Nigerian and African girls move beyond being consumers of technology to becoming innovators and builders of digital solutions.

“I wear two hats as Executive Director of AfroTechxcel and as a Women Techmakers Ambassador, but the mission behind both roles is the same, to ensure that African girls are not just consumers of technology but architects of it,” she said.

She said the organisation launched the initiative to address the disparity between the number of women graduating in science and their representation in leadership within the technology sector.

Akhaumere also highlighted the significant funding gap facing women-led startups.

“Female-led startups received just about two per cent of global funding in 2024, while male-led startups attracted the overwhelming majority. Across Africa, only about eight per cent of software developers are women,” she said.

She explained that the ‘Break the Pattern, Build the Future’ initiative was conceived to intervene early by equipping girls in primary and secondary schools with digital and problem-solving skills before societal biases discourage them from pursuing careers in technology.

Afrotechxcel, she said, is building a pan-African movement aimed at empowering young women through technology. 

“These girls are not just learning theory; they are coding real solutions to real problems within their communities,” she said.

Akhaumere expressed excitement at the creativity displayed by the participants, citing a group of students who developed a digital tool to assist cancer patients by providing information on nearby hospitals, response times and helpful activity guides for patients undergoing treatment.

She added that Afrotechxcel has built a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows participants to continue developing their projects even after completing the programme, with mentorship support from partner organisations such as International Award for Young People Nigeria and Cloud Plexo.

Explaining her motivation for launching the initiative, Akhaumere said she once benefited from a similar opportunity as a secondary school student, which later propelled her to be recognised by the African Union (AU) as one of the top 10 women innovators in Africa.

“If I had that opportunity and it helped shape my journey, then I must return to my community to ensure that other girls have similar chances,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), Fatima Babba, represented by Ehidiamen Gladys Alero, said initiatives that promote digital skills among girls are critical to Nigeria’s technological and economic future.

Babba observed that despite the ICT sector contributing nearly 18 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), women remain under-represented in engineering and technology professions, while millions of Nigerian women still lack access to reliable internet connectivity.

Babba further stressed that empowering girls with digital skills is vital for national development and commended AfroTechxcel and its partners for creating opportunities that expose young women to technology, innovation and leadership.