Women’s inclusion critical to engineering Africa’s future, Sanwo-Olu says

Mr Sanwo-Olu described women’s talent as one of Africa’s most underutilised resources, warning that their underrepresentation in STEM poses economic and development challenges.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said Africa’s ability to compete in the global economy will depend on how effectively it harnesses innovation, invests in infrastructure and promotes the inclusion of women in science and technology.

Mr Sanwo-Olu made the remarks on Tuesday at the fifth edition of the Women in Technology and Engineering Summit and Awards (WITE) held at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.

Represented by the state’s Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake, the governor said Africa must actively shape its future rather than wait for opportunities to emerge elsewhere.

The two-day summit, themed “Engineering Africa’s Future: Innovation, Infrastructure and Inclusive Technology,” brought together policymakers, technology leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss the future of technology and women’s participation in STEM fields.

Organised by Womenovate, the event focuses on advancing women’s leadership, innovation and participation across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors.

Women’s leadership in technology

Mr Sanwo-Olu described women’s talent as one of Africa’s most underutilised resources, warning that their underrepresentation in STEM poses economic and development challenges.

“This is not just a gender issue. It is an economic issue, a development issue and ultimately a competitiveness issue,” he said.

He commended Womenovate for creating opportunities that enable women and girls to thrive in technology and engineering.

“Through your efforts, you are helping to build a future where talent, innovation and leadership are determined not by gender, but by vision, competence and impact,” he said.

Drawing from developments in artificial intelligence, the governor reflected on differences in how leading AI platforms generate responses and suggested that diversity in leadership often shapes innovation outcomes.

“There is a woman at the helm and women make things better,” he said.

Infrastructure for innovation

Highlighting Lagos’ digital transformation efforts, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state had laid about 3,000 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure between 2019 and 2025, expanding connectivity to more than one million additional residents.

He added that the government continues to invest in broadband, transportation and energy infrastructure to create an environment where innovation can flourish.

The governor also shared the story of a female entrepreneur who benefited from state-backed funding, business training and digital support and has since expanded her customer base across Africa, Asia and South America.

“When connected to the right tools and given the right opportunities, women will scale and deliver value,” he said, urging young innovators to “dream boldly and innovate fearlessly.”

Experts push for Nigeria-first AI

A major focus of the summit was the growing role of artificial intelligence and the need to develop solutions tailored to local realities.

Speaking during a panel session titled “AI, Innovation and Inclusion: AI and Cloud for Local Market Solutions,” industry leaders called for a Nigeria-first approach to AI development.

The session was moderated by Stella Adibe, Associate Director, Tech Platforms, KPMG West Africa.

Olaniyi Yusuf, Managing Partner at Verraki Partners and Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, urged developers to move beyond imported technology solutions and build AI systems that reflect local languages, cultures and realities.

He emphasised that AI solutions must be tailored to the local environment, accounting for cultural nuances, language, and specific regional data rather than relying solely on global models.

Dotun Adeoye, co-founder of AI Nigeria, echoed these sentiments, noting that while many existing AI tools originate in the West, local developers must fine-tune these models using relevant data.

Inclusion begins with access

Panellists also identified infrastructure deficits, particularly electricity and data access, as major barriers to inclusive AI adoption.

Ibiyemi Lawani, an energy and business innovator, said technology cannot be truly inclusive unless people can reliably access it.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of designing products around users’ needs.

Hannatu Adegboyega, a sales leader and people manager, encouraged innovators to engage end-users from the earliest stages of product development.

“Fall in love with the problem and not your own solution,” she said, urging technology builders to remain flexible as challenges evolve.

Building an AI roadmap

Mr Adeoye outlined four critical pillars needed to accelerate AI adoption in Nigeria: data, talent, governance and computing infrastructure.

“AI is an industrial evolution. We need to think about data, talent, governance and compute. AI has to be responsibly used and governed,” he said.

He also encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on solving practical business problems rather than being intimidated by the technical complexity of AI.

“You don’t need to be a scientist to build solutions for businesses,” he added.

Earlier, the convener of the summit, Motunrayo Opawole, said the event would focus on practical discussions around adapting artificial intelligence to the Nigerian environment and expanding opportunities for women in technology.

She said the summit was designed to help shape conversations around innovation, inclusion and Africa’s digital future.