HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY NATION?- a submission by Chinenye Ogechi

Overview

It is evident and widely known that Nigeria suffers from the impact of long term underdevelopment with emphasis on corruption and lack of human resourcefulness as two among the major factors facilitating this problem.

If more literate or intellectually driven women—provenn of their worth and leadership/service capacity, could be added to the equation; then there would be a change of story.

Women are a significant part of society, and their contributions are vital to the development of nations. However, gender inequality remains an issue in many parts of the world, especially in Nigeria, thereby limiting the participation of women in various fields. The integration of technology into women empowerment programs can help bridge the gap and ensure that women are included in decision-making processes or in general, the collective development of the Nation, Nigeria.

My Goal

It is true that there are many organizations funding startups and empowering the young and strong in different ways–these are the answers to the long yearn and wait that we all have mutually shared as a people.

It is my desire to join in the league of players who are consistently in the move towards liberating our Nation, Nigeria, through tech innovation. Technology has the potential to play a significant role in empowering women and bridging the gender gap in various fields. Tech provides access to information and knowledge that they might not have had access to otherwise; it is used to develop skills and provide training for women in various fields, such as coding, digital marketing, and project management; it transudes an enterprising and entrepreneurial spirit which is good for national growth and brings about a work-life balance.

It is my initiative to contribute towards the development of Nigeria through establishing a Tech Hub for women and young girls. This hub will focus on three key areas of service: provide a physical environment for ladies to learn and build technical skills; the second being to occasionally organize tech fairs or exhibition for all women or young girls to present their profound and outstanding talents, startups or impact factored innovations in order to collaborate and/or receive investments/mentorship from experts and game-changers; and the third being to establish an advocacy platform for young girls to participate advocacy for women participation and inclusion in tech ventures and pioneering roles..

Why a Tech Hub?

It is becoming a gradual trend that conventional approaches or move in executing such kind of project doesn’t always make the headlines—I mean the expected impact. But what matters and what would really count is the value given and lives transformed through purposeful and strategic actions taken. Building a multi-functional tech hub for females is what makes the difference, it is unconventional; and the unconventional brings about a new and fresh narrative for creativity and hard work to tread upon.

A female tech hub will in no doubt address a huge chunk of the issues surrounding gender equality in the tech industry; bring inclusion and equity, ….

How the Hub will help contribute to developing Nigeria.

Nigeria is a Nation rich in Human resourcefulness and Natural resources. But it is a matter to be concerned about that She has for long heavily focused her harnessing power on a few number of this resources. However tech as we know it simplifies and amplifies human creativity and in general, our output. A tech hub is a good bait to capitalizing on a collective human power and collaboration in order to scale development in the nation; from the very basic or individual level to the societal level.

Let’s take an example; imagine a lady who signs up to one of the programs at the tech hub. She becomes an expert in her field of learning and among her network of collaborators. Then she begins to make significant input to the society by executing projects here and there (with readily impact acceleration scheme and handful of partners). Now, we can multiply or add up this number by our imaginary number of members and see how a little hub can change the world.

Conclusion

I believe building a network around this hub for female innovators will pave ways to the emergence of bright and new giants and changers in Nigeria’s development landscape.