Despite Nigeria’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, only 15 per cent of tech startup co-founders in Nigeria are women. A study published by LongHash in 2018 shows that among 100 blockchain startups surveyed, female employees accounted for only 14.5 per cent of the workforce.
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So, while the digital ecosystem is dynamic and exciting, gender inclusivity remains a growth inhibitor. Hence, Pan-African cryptocurrency exchange and financial technology firm, Yellow Card, through a $3,000 grant, has teamed up with women-centric organisation, Web3Ladies, to empower over 500 Nigerian women with relevant tech and blockchain skills through its mentorship programme.
This move by Yellow Card was part of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, YC Social Good, aimed at promoting financial freedom and enabling access to tech resources for everyone across the continent.
The Web3Ladies mentorship programme is a three-month intensive boot camp designed to train skilled designers, engineers and managers for the blockchain industry while providing them with the necessary tools and tech resources needed for post-training success.
An estimated 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030 and UNESCO estimates that only 30 per cent of women receive STEM training, with even fewer girls possessing essential digital skills for the modern workforce in the region.
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Yellow Card, through its YC Social Good Initiative, intends to close this gap, equipping and preparing young African talents with the necessary skills required to shape the future of the continent.
Chief Operating Officer of Yellow Card, Jason Marshall, said: “We are committed to helping people across the African continent improve their lives through various partnerships and programmes that focus on financial inclusion, youth empowerment, education and innovation. Women and girls face significant barriers to technology and digital literacy education, making it an easy decision to grant Web3Ladies the $3,000 for the mentorship programme.”
Associate Programme Manager for Web3Ladies, Nkechi Enebeli, said: “Yellow Card’s commitment to corporate social responsibility is nothing short of remarkable. Their partnership reaffirms the belief that empowering women in tech is not just a matter of equality but an investment in the future”.
She further explained that the partnership was more than just financial support, adding: “It’s a testament to the power of collaboration. We are immensely grateful to Yellow Card for recognising our mission and offering their hand in our journey towards a more equitable tech ecosystem”.
The Web3Ladies mentorship programme runs in four different phases for a period of three months. During the programme, mentees attend live classes and weekly workshops under the guidance of on-site mentors. The workshops are in-depth sessions on specific blockchain topics delivered by industry experts and experienced professionals.
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