By Prosper Mene, April 9, 2025
One day after its celebrated launch, the free tech training program for 300 Nigerian women, spearheaded by Honourable Kafilat Ogbara in partnership with New Horizons, is already making waves in Lagos. The initiative, which began yesterday, April 8, 2025, has transitioned from a visionary announcement to a bustling reality as the first cohort of women started their six-month journey into coding, cybersecurity, and digital marketing at a state-of-the-art training facility in the city’s tech hub.
The program, designed to bridge Nigeria’s gender gap in the tech sector, welcomed participants with an orientation session that set the tone for what’s to come. “I felt a mix of excitement and nerves walking in, but seeing so many women like me, ready to learn, made me feel unstoppable,” shared Aisha Ibrahim, a 24-year-old participant from Ikeja who spoke at the launch. Her opinion speaks the broader energy in the room, where women from diverse backgrounds, some fresh graduates, others pivoting careers, gathered with laptops open, ready to seize this opportunity.
Honourable Kafilat Ogbara, an advocate for women’s empowerment and the driving force behind the initiative, visited the training center today to check on the program’s progress. “Yesterday was about inspiration; today is about action,” she told the trainees. “You are the future of Nigeria’s tech industry, and I’m proud to see you take this step.” Ogbara’s partnership with New Horizons, a leading IT training provider, ensures the program is fully funded, removing financial barriers that often keep women out of tech education.
The curriculum, tailored to meet industry demands, includes hands-on projects and mentorship from seasoned professionals. Trainers at New Horizons emphasized that the goal isn’t just to teach skills but to prepare these women for real-world roles in Nigeria’s booming digital economy, which is projected to contribute billions in the coming years. “We’re not just teaching them to code or secure networks, we’re building confidence and career pathways,” said Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons, during a tour of the facility.
The initiative tallies with broader national efforts to skill up Nigeria’s workforce, such as Microsoft’s commitment to train one million Nigerians in AI by 2026. However, what sets this program apart is its focus on gender equity, addressing the underrepresentation of women in tech.