Stakeholders at the Titans of Tech Conference & Expo 2026, themed, Quantum Shift have called for bold policy reforms that will move women from the margins of Nigeria’s digital economy to the centre of decision-making, arguing that true digital inclusion must translate into ownership, leadership and economic power.
Speaking during the Women in Tech & Digital Inclusion Forum, themed “Women, Digital Inclusion & Digital Identity: Expanding Access, Opportunity and Economic Empowerment,” panelists agreed that while digital access has improved, government policies must now focus on giving women greater influence over investment, innovation and technology governance.
The panel featured Adeuwa Ighodalo, Founder of Women Impacting Nigeria (WIN); Seyi Osanaya, Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA); Funmilola Majek, Founder of NaijaG IP Sparkle Initiative; and was moderated by Oloruntobi Opeyeye, Head of Tech Disputes Resolution at Jackson, Etti & Edu.
Opening the discussion, Ighodalo challenged policymakers to rethink the conversation around digital inclusion.
“Access alone does not shape an economy. Authority does,” she said.
Quoting GSMA data showing a 26 per cent mobile internet gender gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, she argued that expanding internet connectivity, while important, will have limited impact unless women also occupy positions where policies are formulated, investments are approved and businesses are built.
“The real shift is not simply getting more women online. It is getting more women into the rooms where the terms are set,” she said.
Ighodalo also cited International Finance Corporation (IFC) data showing that women occupy only 11 per cent of senior investment board positions across emerging-market venture capital and private equity firms, describing the imbalance as a structural challenge that requires deliberate policy intervention.
She stressed that government policies should not only promote inclusion but also strengthen women’s participation in ownership, governance and capital allocation.
The discussion highlighted the need for a more supportive policy environment to accelerate women’s participation across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
According to Seyi Osanaya, policy remains the single biggest lever for change. Drawing comparisons with the energy sector, she noted that local content policies, dedicated funding programmes and institutional support have helped increase indigenous participation in that industry, while similar interventions remain largely absent in technology.
“Everything flows from policy,” Osanaya said. “If women are absent when policies are being designed, they cannot expect to be fully included in the outcomes.”
She called for the establishment of a dedicated development fund for indigenous technology companies and urged governments and large organisations to deliberately include more women-owned businesses in procurement programmes.
“Procurement represents one of the largest pools of capital. Deliberately opening procurement opportunities to qualified women-owned businesses would significantly transform women’s participation in technology,” she said.
Panelists also argued that policy must go beyond skills development.
“We’ve had enough training programmes,” Osanaya noted. “The real question is how women move from training to income, from income to ownership, and from ownership to influence.”
The forum also examined barriers preventing women from entering technology careers.
Funmilola Majek identified poverty, limited access to quality education, cultural norms and unequal access to finance as major obstacles that require coordinated policy responses.
She urged governments and development partners to invest more in STEM education, mentorship and innovation programmes targeted at girls from an early age.
“We need policies that encourage girls to pursue science and technology careers and create opportunities for them to become innovators, not just users of technology,” she said.
Contributors to the discussion also emphasised that access to finance remains a critical policy challenge.
Kesiena Ogheneruru, Chief Operations & People Officer at ZORACOM, argued that women entrepreneurs need improved access to investment capital rather than more short-term grant programmes.
She also advocated the creation of a one-stop platform where women-led digital businesses can easily access business registration, financing, compliance services and market opportunities.
The session concluded with a strong call for governments, regulators, investors and private sector organisations to adopt policies that intentionally increase women’s participation in leadership, procurement, investment and innovation.
Participants agreed that Nigeria’s ambition to build a globally competitive digital economy will only be realised when women are not merely connected to technology, but are empowered to shape its future through policy, leadership and ownership.
