SheWillConnect Networking Event Hosted By Intel® West Africa

On Saturday, June 18th at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi – Intel® West Africa hosted the SheWill Connect networking event  to connect organizations who serve the diverse needs of women. Attendees found the session interactive and engaging as Intel® West Africa discussed its women empowerment initiatives and 2016 strategy on women.  Intel® West Africa aims to develop and build an ecosystem to garner assistance for organizations that support women.

In attendance was Aderemi Ademiju who represented the AWP Network, Oreoluwa Somolu-Lesi – Founder of W.TEC, Babatunde Akinola, and Titilope Sonuga.

Below are a few key lessons from the interactive and engaging session:

• We understand that priorities vary across demographics; for instance, girls who live in Northern Nigeria are more likely to value security above all, while girls who reside in the Southwest region (i.e Lagos) may appreciate money more.
• We know that “the most effective number of girls one can educate at a time is 20.”
• Focusing on numbers from the get go is NOT the most effective approach. “The discussion that happens in the boardroom may not be the same that happens in real life.”
• It is not so much the quantity, but the quality of impact. “Helping a girl has a butterfly effect. Educate a girl and she educates other people, and they educate other people. That is how one reaches targets, numbers and goals.”
• Mentoring is a long process. “Someone needs to take the responsibility of finding those who want to connect and connect them, rather than trying to connect everybody.”