Telecom
Moniepoint Women in Tech initiative turns 5, expands access for 15 interns
As the world marks International Women’s Day (IWD), Moniepoint Inc, leading digital financial services provider and Africa’s fastest growing financial institution, has announced the expansion of its “Women in Tech” program. This year, the program will increase its offerings from 10 to 15 internship roles, furthering its commitment to bridging the gender gap in the technology sector.
This announcement aligns with the 2025 IWD theme, “Accelerate Action,” which calls for urgent action to close the gender gap and promote equality across industries. The program is a vital part of Moniepoint’s ongoing efforts to elevate women in the technology space, particularly in Nigeria, where women remain underrepresented despite the country’s significant gender parity in population. Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.
The technology sector is essential to driving growth and innovation, but the role of women within it remains limited. Recent statistics from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveal that while women make up nearly half of Nigeria’s population, they account for just 25% of the tech workforce, despite representing 22% of STEM graduates annually. These disparities highlight the need for more focused efforts to increase female representation and foster gender inclusion in the tech industry. The Women in Tech initiative aims to address these gaps by providing young women with hands-on experience, mentorship, and the opportunity to work on live projects that will shape the future of digital finance in Africa.
For this year’s edition, Moniepoint’s internship program will expand to include 15 women, increasing the number of roles available to participants. The initiative will provide successful applicants with the chance to join diverse teams, including Cloud Engineering, Backend Engineering, Technical Product Management, Data Engineering, Systems Administration, Technical Support, and User Experience.
Known as the “Dream 15,” these women will engage in a six-month internship, during which they will receive direct mentorship, a salary, work tools, branded merchandise, and the opportunity to be considered for full-time employment based on performance. This expanded program is a testament to Moniepoint’s dedication to offering young women the tools they need to succeed in technology, a field where they are still underrepresented but essential to its evolution.
Chinaza Nduka-Dike, Vice President of People Operations at Moniepoint Inc, expressed her enthusiasm about the program’s expansion, noting, “With the Women in Tech initiative, we are not just inspiring inclusion – we are actively creating sustainable pathways for women to thrive in the tech industry. This is a space where diversity fuels innovation, and through programs like this, we are empowering women to take on leadership roles, develop crucial skills, and shape the future of technology. The progress we’ve seen in past editions, where alumni have gone on to make significant contributions to the company and the wider tech ecosystem, fills us with pride, and we look forward to nurturing even more female talent in the years ahead. This initiative has been instrumental in our mission to power the dreams of millions while transforming the careers of talented women for the past four years. ”
Daniela Uzosike, a systems administrator and member of the third cohort of Moniepoint’s Women in Tech program, shared her excitement about the expanded opportunities for this year’s intake. “The opportunity to work with Moniepoint not only transformed my career but also allowed me to be part of a program that truly values the potential of women in technology. I’m thrilled to see the increase in roles this year, and I’m excited to see more women take part in this initiative, gain the experience they need, and shape the future of tech in Africa,” she said.
The Women in Tech initiative has consistently proven to be a transformative force, not just for individual participants, but for the broader tech community. By creating a space for women to access resources, gain mentorship, and build skills, Moniepoint is helping to close the gender gap in technology, ensuring that women are central to the growth and future of the sector.
The internship is open to women across Africa who are interested in starting a career in technology. Interested applicants can find out more about available roles and apply for the programme via the Women in Tech website, https://womenintech.moniepoint.com
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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