The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), Lady Helen Eno Obareki, has reaffirmed her commitment to advancing women’s leadership in technology.
Lady Obareki made this known during the GIFA Women in Tech Breakfast Roundtable held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Breakforth Hotel, Uyo, with the theme “Empowering Women in Tech: From Aspiring to Leadership.”
At the event, she announced a new partnership between GIFA, Mosaic, and Afrilabs, the largest pan-African network of technology and innovation hubs, to train 500 women annually in key digital skills such as software development, data analytics, and innovation management.
According to her, the initiative represents a major investment in human capital and aims to build a strong foundation for women to thrive in the evolving digital economy. She emphasized that the goal is not only to increase women’s participation in technology but also to position more women in leadership roles across the sector.
Lady Obareki highlighted that through GIFA’s platform, the Office of the First Lady is committed to dismantling barriers that restrict women’s access to science and technology, while fostering mentorship, education, and skills development across all local government areas in the state.
She called on corporate partners, investors, and industry leaders to collaborate with GIFA by sponsoring cohorts, providing mentorship, supporting specialized training equipment, and offering employment opportunities for graduates of the programme.
The roundtable, which brought together female entrepreneurs, tech innovators, policymakers, and professionals from across Nigeria, served as a forum to discuss the challenges women face in technology and propose sustainable pathways to leadership and inclusion.
Chairman of the 2025 Akwa Ibom Tech Week Planning Committee, Mrs. Eno-Abasi Emah, said the forum was part of efforts to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s innovation ecosystem by fostering collaboration and highlighting the growing role of women in driving technological transformation in the state.
Participants lauded Lady Obareki’s efforts through GIFA and pledged their support towards building an inclusive technology-driven economy in Akwa Ibom State.
