All is set for Intel to empower more girls and women in Africa in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to boost their businesses through its She will connect Initiative.

‘She will connect’ Ambassador, Titilope Sonuga and Marketing & PR Manager, Adim Isiakpona at the unveiling of She will connect Radio show and Bella Naija column.

Renowned Poet, Actress, Civil Engineer and Intels Ambassador for She will connect Initiative, Titilope Sonuga who had a chat with the press recently will travel Nigerias cities and the rest of Africa to touch more lives through technology.

Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Intel West Africa, Adim Isiakpona said about 16 cities in Nigeria have already been covered and more will be covered in the coming days. In addition, he said the company has the support of States government, financial institutions, NGO partner, Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) and other stakeholders who are keen about the success of the initiative.

He revealed that over 8,000 girls have been trained and by 2020 over 5 million are expected to have benefited from the programme. Similarly, he stated that the Intel goal in 2016 is to engage more girls to become Entrepreneurs.

Our goal this year is to extend from the place of just training, to engaging these girls and to ensuring that they are evolving from just having the skills set to becoming employable or Entrepreneurs.

Journalist at the unveiling of She will connect Radio show and Bella Naija column.

We want to ensure that we are getting them ready for jobs, we are getting them ready to start their businesses and not just from mentorship perspective but from funding perspective. We are working out the modalities, we are identifying Microfinance banks; we are identifying potential partners to give specific finance option to women who have been trained or have decent business ideas.

Sonuga explained that girls and women that have passed through the programme are glad they did considering the impact it has on their businesses. She therefore urged parents to support the initiative.

Jessica is one of our success stories; the girl went through Intel training, before that she thought the internet was for pornographers, Internet fraudsters (Yahoo boys). Her mother sells Tomatoes and Pepper in the market. Jessica has interest in Hairdressing, and was not interested in buying and selling but when she went through the programme, first of all, she transformed from a shy girl to an outspoken girl.

Journalist at the unveiling of She will connect Radio show and Bella Naija column.

Jessica travelled with me to Kenya to speak with some audience. Her mother didnt have a choice but to understand that this was important. When Jessica went for the programme she learnt how to make Flyers for her Hairdressing Business and her mums business. She said.

More so, Sonuga disclosed that the trained girls will in turn train others In the beginning it was about train the girls, train as many girls as possible but we are coming to a place, the girls that have been trained let them train others. Sonuga disclosed.

She will connect has an Intel sponsored column on BellaNaija called Through Her Eyes, with Titilope Sonuga and a radio show on Women Fm 91.7, called the She will connect Radio Show every Friday at 6.15pm.

Reported by

Azeez Disu