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eBusiness Life Girls in ICT: Corporates Charge Girls on Future ICT Careers
Young girls have been charged to prepare themselves for future careers that will be premised on ICT knowledge and expertise.
L-R: Head of Contact Center, Globacom Limited, Kemi Fadipe; Manager, South-West Zonal office, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mrs. Jumoke Alaka, who represented the Director General of the Agency, Dr. Inuwa Abdulahi; Convener, Girls-In-ICT/CEO, e-Business Life Communication Limited, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro; and Deputy Director, Head Corporate Communication, NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, who represented the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida at the just-concluded eBusiness Life Int’l Girls in ICT Day Celebration held in Lagos
Speaking at the International Girls in ICT event organised by eBusiness Life Communications Limited last Thursday, corporate organisations that gathered for the 12th edition of the year long campaign spoke on diverse expectations from the young girls, and how to position them to bridge the gender gap in the ICT career field.
In his keynote address at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Head Corporate Communication, NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, noted that there is a need to provide girls with quality STEM education as a means of bridging the gender divide, while also challenging the gender stereotype; and provide positive role models for young girls to look up to.
Quoting the Global Gender Gap Report (2023), which states that women comprise only 29.2% of STEM workforce in 146 nations evaluated, compared to nearly 50% on non-STEM occupations, Dr. Maida lamented the “underrepresentation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
“As we look around us, we witness the impactful influence of technology in all facets of our existence. Technology, from communications to healthcare, education to entertainment, has emerged as the primary catalyst for advancement and growth. Nonetheless, despite the significant progress we have achieved, there is a noticeable gender gap in the ICT sector.”
Referencing the 2024 theme, Leadership’’, Convener, Girls-In-ICT/CEO, e-Business Life Communication Limited, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, noted: “While there is a leadership gender gap in every industry, the largest gaps are found in the STEM fields. Women in ICT often find themselves in junior or support roles rather than in managerial roles, with little opportunity for advancement. They are also less likely to hold an executive position, become ICT entrepreneurs, or be represented among science and technology policymakers.
She noted that ICT holds limitless possibilities, especially for women. “It is a realm where creativity knows no bounds, innovation thrives, and dreams are transformed into reality through lines of code and digital solutions. Yet, despite its vast potential, the representation of women in this field remains disproportionately low.
Today, we challenge that narrative. We stand united to break down barriers, defy stereotypes, and pave the way for a future where every girl, regardless of background or circumstance, feels empowered to pursue her passion for technology.”
Young women and girls need to see themselves as change-makers in the field, and they need to be able to see clear routes to become leaders in the field.”
In a virtual message from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Secretary General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin explained that the 2024 theme, “Leadership”, speaks to more than holding a job title or position of power, but about harnessing the power of ideas and innovation, and the ability to navigate change with confidence even as a student.
She said that as the world continues to experience tremendous unprecedented digital transformation with the rise of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, it cannot afford to leave girls and women, which represent 50%, behind.
“It is high time to turn all this around. To all the young girls out there, the tech sector needs you. Your ideas, creativity, and perspectives are essential if gender equality will become a reality. We need you to step into leading roles to challenge the stereotypes, and to contribute to building a better future that benefits everyone.”
Head of Contact Center, Globacom Limited, Kemi Fadipe noted that the event not only pursues individual development, but also crucial for fostering gender equality and societal progress. She charged the students to get more serious with excellence in STEM subjects to excel in male dominated fields. She encouraged them on critical thinking and problem solving, which is essential in addressing complex challenges and driving innovation, among other things that make up good leadership, including truthfulness, resilience, objectivity, inspiring, sense of purpose, strategic thinking, integrity, honesty and ethical behavior.
Deputy Managing Director/COO, VDT Communications, Bimbo Ikumariegbe, while charging the girls to be focused in their choice, as making the wrong choice of online may ruin them and foil their chances of becoming great leaders. “Look to the future and ask yourself ‘can I get there?’”
In her submission, the Business Development Manager at inq Digital, Sandra Nwaigwe, encouraged the young girls to start building up themselves for the future. According to her: “As young people, you need to find your best feet in ICT so that when the time comes you will be able to raise your head so high like the women that have done great things.”
Awards were also given to deserving corporate and individuals that have distinguished themselves in grooming young girls and helping them to upskill.
The reciepients were the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Digital Strategist & Founder, MissTechy – Nigeria’s Female Tech Blog, Ayeni Oluwatobi Dorcas, also known professionally as Miss Techy; and Head of Network and Solutions at Information Connectivity Solutions Limited (ICSL), Tinuade Oguntuyi.
Receiving the corporate Award on behalf of the NITDA DG, Manager, South-West Zonal office, Mrs. Jumoke Alaka, appreciated the organisers and pledged the Agency’s commitment towards encouraging girls in the area of STEM and ICT career.
Activities at the event included STEM Quiz and Vlogging competitions; Students roundtable, which was anchored by foremost journalist, Louisa Olaniyi, random quiz and entertainments.
In the Vlogging competition, moderated by tech enthusiast, Digital Strategist and Founder, ‘MissTechy’ – Nigeria’s top Female Tech Blog, Oluwatobi Ayeni, Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls Secondary School, Yaba to the First Prize, while the Second and Third Prizes went to Chrisland College, Ikeja and The Lagoon School, Lekki.
In the STEM Quiz Competition, the top prize went to The Lagoon School, Lekki, while Baptist Girls Academy, Obanikoro and Government Senior College, Agege settled for the 2nd and 3rd positions.
Partners with eBusiness Life Communication Limited for this year’s event included the NCC, NITDA, Globacom, Digital Encode, VDT Communications, Digital Realty, Huawei Technologies, Inq Digital, and CocaCola.
Union Bank of Nigeria has secured certification under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0.1, a global standard for protecting payment card data.
The certification took effect on August 11, 2026, confirming that the bank’s systems for storing, processing and transmitting customers’ credit and debit card information meet stringent international security requirements.
PCI DSS certification is designed to reduce the risk of payment card data breaches and financial fraud while strengthening customer confidence in electronic payment systems.
The assessment covered key areas of Union Bank’s operations, including network infrastructure, card issuance, ATM and POS transactions, payment processing, reconciliation, settlement, chargebacks, dispute resolution and retail banking.
Union Bank was assessed and certified under the Service Provider category.
The certification process lasted a full year and involved quarterly assessments, with support from departmental, business and functional heads across the bank. Digital security firm Digital Encode supported the process, while the final independent audit was conducted by CyberCube, an accredited Qualified Security Assessor.
Yetunde B. Oni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, said the certification demonstrates the bank’s commitment to protecting customer information.
“The security of our customers’ information is central to everything we do at Union Bank. This certification reaffirms that our payment systems and processes meet a rigorous global standard, and it reflects the discipline of colleagues across the Bank who work every day to keep customer data safe.”
The renewal also ensures that Union Bank maintains continuous PCI DSS certification, in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s requirement for banks to sustain compliance without interruption.
New data from CFA Society Nigeria is reshaping how the country’s financial sector thinks about talent development, with Access emerging as the single largest source of CFA candidates in Nigeria, distinction industry watchers say signals a deeper shift in how leading institutions are building investment expertise from within.
In its Where Nigeria’s Finance Professionals Work series, published in a national daily, CFA Society Nigeria placed Access first among employers of CFA candidates nationwide, with 82 candidates enrolled in the programme, more than double the 38 recorded at the next-placed institution and well ahead of every other bank or financial services firm on the list.
Access also ranked second among employers of CFA charterholders, with 11 professionals who have completed all three levels of the Programme and met its experience and ethics requirements.
For an industry that has long measured itself by balance sheet size and branch count, the rankings point to a different kind of competition: one over who is building the deepest bench of certified, globally credentialed talent.
CFA Society Nigeria compiled the data from its Salesforce Membership Database as at June 2026, and described the exercise as a way of recognising employers whose people “bring rigour, integrity and global best practices into the workplace every day.”
Analysts following the sector say the outcome is notable less for the ranking itself than for what it suggests about talent strategy across Africa’s financial services industry. A single institution developing more aspiring charterholders than the rest of the market combined raises the floor for professional standards nationally, not just within one balance sheet.
Every candidate who advances through the CFA Programme adds to a shared pool of ethics-trained, analytically rigorous professionals that Nigeria’s capital markets, pension funds and asset managers all eventually draw from.
Access Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Innocent C. Ike, commenting on the rankings, framed the achievement in terms of institution-building rather than recruitment: “Every candidate on that list represents our commitment to building institutions and professionals that endure.”
The remark echoes a broader thesis increasingly voiced by market observers, that talent depth, not scale alone, is what will determine which African financial institutions earn lasting global credibility.
That distinction sits at the centre of Access’s stated ambition to become the World’s Most Respected African Financial Services Group. If the CFA numbers are any indication, the Group’s route to that goal runs less through square metres of branch network and more through the calibre of the people sitting inside it, a bet that Nigeria’s finance professionals, and the institutions that will one day hire them, are already placing alongside Access.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) baggage tracking technology across domestic and international airport terminals to tackle the growing problem of delayed, misrouted and missing luggages
Michael Achimugu, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, disclosed this at a stakeholder engagement forum in Lagos.
Achimugu said the RFID-enabled system would replace the traditional barcode-based baggage tracking framework and provide airlines and passengers with real-time visibility of checked luggage from check-in to final collection.
According to him, the technology would improve baggage traceability, reduce mishandling and strengthen accountability across the baggage-handling chain.
Unlike conventional barcode systems, RFID technology allows baggage to be automatically scanned at multiple points without requiring direct line of sight, enabling real-time tracking of luggage throughout its journey.
Achimugu said issues involving short-landed, missing, lost or damaged baggage had remained among the major complaints from air travellers, alongside flight delays.
He said the introduction of RFID technology was therefore aimed at improving baggage-handling standards and restoring passenger confidence in the aviation sector.
The NCAA said the initiative also aligns with IATA Resolution 753, which requires airlines to track baggage at key points during the passenger journey.
The authority expects the technology to provide more accurate information on the location of luggage, facilitate quicker resolution of baggage-related complaints and improve the overall passenger experience.
The NCAA said the initiative would also strengthen accountability among airlines and other stakeholders involved in baggage handling at Nigerian airports.
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