Moniepoint has intensified its push to strengthen Nigeria’s digital talent pipeline after hosting a women-focused technology and leadership event aimed at training Nigerian women in AI, product development and leadership skills.
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The event, themed “Break the Pattern,” was held at Moniepoint’s headquarters in Lagos in partnership with Women Techmakers Lagos and Google Developer Group (GDG) Lagos as part of activities marking International Women’s Day (IWD).
The programme brought together women from both technical and non-technical backgrounds for practical workshops, mentorship sessions and conversations around leadership in Nigeria’s rapidly growing technology ecosystem.
At the centre of the event was a strong focus on helping more Nigerian women gain confidence in AI tools, software product development and technology leadership at a time when demand for digital skills continues to rise across the country.
Speaking during the event, Kemi Nwogu, Head of Product at Moniepoint Inc, said women in technology must move beyond existing limitations and actively shape the future of the industry.
According to her, many girls are still discouraged from entering science and technology-related fields due to long-standing stereotypes and social conditioning.
“From a young age, many girls have been subtly discouraged from pursuing science and tech. They are told sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, that tech is too hard, too technical, or simply not for them,” Nwogu said.
“These patterns are not facts, they are constructs. And what has been constructed can be deconstructed. The future of tech needs leaders who build people, not just products, cultures, not just systems.”
Nwogu also encouraged participants to take skill-building seriously by consistently improving themselves through online learning, coding bootcamps, open-source projects and practical experience.
She advised attendees to use real-world challenges as learning opportunities while building careers around clear long-term goals.
The event also featured a panel session titled “Unscripted: Leading Beyond the Patterns We Inherited,” moderated by Atinuke Oluwabamikemi Kayode.
Panelists included Chukwu Adaeze, Creative Director at CAV Digital; Chinenye Ogbu, Customer Experience Lead at Hydrogen; and Motunrayo Koyejo, Senior Software Engineer at Cowrywise.
The discussion focused on leadership culture within Nigeria’s tech ecosystem and the pressures professionals often face across engineering, creative and customer-facing roles.
The speakers shared personal experiences about overcoming workplace stereotypes, managing leadership expectations and creating healthier team cultures within their organisations.
One of the major highlights of the programme was a hands-on AI and product development workshop called “Prompt to Production,” facilitated by Taiwo Famakinde.
The session guided participants through modern product development processes including prompt engineering, rapid prototyping and deploying functional applications using AI tools.
Many of the attendees reportedly had little or no previous experience building software products before participating in the workshop.
The training later transitioned into a Buildathon where participants worked in teams to develop and deploy live solutions in real time.
Some of the strongest projects created during the session were recognised and rewarded during the closing ceremony.
Speaking on the purpose behind the initiative, Funke Olasupo, co-organiser of Women Techmakers Lagos, said the organisers wanted the event to move beyond motivational talks and focus on practical capability building.
“IWD celebrations are often heavy on inspiration, but we wanted to offer something more, a proof of capability,” Olasupo said.
“Oftentimes, there is a gap between having ideas and actually building them, and we set out to bridge that by creating a space where women could easily deploy their ideas into live products with AI in just a few hours.”
She added that the programme helped participants gain both technical confidence and leadership direction needed to compete in the evolving technology industry.
According to her, many of the women left the event understanding that they do not need perfect conditions before launching ideas, building products or pursuing leadership opportunities in tech.
The “Break the Pattern” initiative also reflects Moniepoint’s broader investment in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and digital workforce development strategy.
Over the years, the fintech company has expanded its involvement in talent development through partnerships, engineering programmes and training initiatives targeted at young Nigerian developers and technology professionals.
The company has supported developer communities through collaborations with GDG Lagos while also running programmes such as Women in Tech, DreamDevs, HatchDev and participation in the Federal Government-backed 3MTT initiative.
As competition for AI, engineering and product talent continues to increase globally, programmes focused on developing local talent are becoming increasingly important for Nigeria’s digital economy.
For Moniepoint, the latest initiative signals a growing commitment to ensuring more Nigerian women are equipped with the practical skills, leadership mindset and technical exposure needed to participate fully in the country’s technology future.
