Last Updated on September 11, 2026 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
By Raymond Osemene
The College of Computing Sciences (COLCOMPS), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in collaboration with the Association for Computing Machinery for Women (ACM-W), Nigeria Professional Chapter, has held the maiden Celebration of Women in Information Technology (CWIT), with a call for greater participation and leadership of women in computing and the digital economy.
The conference, which began today, September 9, 2026, at the Green Chamber, was themed “Bridging the Gender Gap in Computing” and brought together Academics, Non-Teaching staff, students, invited schools and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) stakeholders.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, the Director, Directorate of Academic Planning, Prof. Biodun Badmus, described the theme as timely, noting that computing had become a major force shaping the modern world through developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science, cybersecurity, software engineering, robotics and digital agriculture.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that closing the gender gap was essential to building an innovative, inclusive and sustainable digital future. He reaffirmed FUNAAB’s commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, while calling for practical measures, including mentorship, scholarships, sponsorship, leadership opportunities and stronger industry partnerships, to support women in technology.
Prof. Kehinde further charged stakeholders to make the celebration a platform for sustained collaboration and measurable progress, urging participants to share experiences, build partnerships and develop concrete initiatives capable of increasing women’s participation and leadership in computing beyond the event.
In her Welcome Address, the Chairperson of ACM-W, Nigeria Professional Chapter, Prof. Oluwasefunmi Arogundade, said the programme was designed to celebrate women in IT while inspiring young girls and women to consider computing as a viable and rewarding career. Prof. Arogundade, also the Dean, COLCOMPS, noted that although computing had traditionally been perceived as male-dominated, women’s creativity, perspectives and skills were increasingly important to technological development and solving societal challenges. She also highlighted ACM-W’s role in advancing professional development, research, mentoring and dialogue across academia, industry and the wider computing community.
Delivering the keynote lecture, “Breaking Barriers, Building the Future: Women Leading the Next Digital Revolution,” Prof. Audrey Waleghwa Mbogho of the School of Science and Technology, United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), Kenya, observed that women remained substantially underrepresented in technology, particularly in senior leadership and Artificial Intelligence. She said the disparity was not merely a social concern but also an engineering, investment and leadership challenge requiring collective action.
Prof. Mbogho also highlighted Africa’s digital gender gap, particularly among rural women, and called for efforts to expand internet and technology access beyond universities and urban centres. She stressed that improved access to digital technologies and AI could enhance the livelihoods of rural women in agriculture, healthcare, entrepreneurship and other sectors, while urging male entrepreneurs and investors to deliberately create more inclusive technology teams and funding opportunities.
In the second keynote, “AI Innovation and the African Woman,” the Chief Executive Officer, Testify Group, Miss Ibironke Yekinni, urged African women to move beyond being consumers of AI to becoming builders, professionals and shapers of AI governance. She identified innovation, ethical regulation, data quality, information governance and the development of African-language technologies as areas where women could play significant roles in shaping the continent’s AI future.
The event featured discussions on professional development, networking, mentoring and emerging technologies, with participants encouraged to promote sustained collaboration towards gender inclusion in computing.
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