Fintech company Moniepoint Inc. has intensified efforts to increase female participation in Nigeria’s technology sector with the launch of a women-focused development programme aimed at expanding skills, leadership and innovation opportunities in STEM fields.
The initiative, organised in Lagos as part of activities marking International Women’s Day, brought together women from different areas of the technology ecosystem for training, mentorship and practical product development sessions.
The programme, themed Break the Pattern, was hosted at Moniepoint’s headquarters in partnership with Women Techmakers Lagos and Google Developer Group Lagos.
Participants engaged in keynote sessions, panel discussions and hands-on workshops focused on artificial intelligence, software engineering and rapid product development.
Moniepoint said the initiative aligns with its broader strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s technology talent pipeline while addressing barriers that have historically limited women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
Speaking during the event, Head of Product at Moniepoint, Kemi Nwogu, said societal expectations and stereotypes continue to discourage many young women from pursuing careers in technology.
According to her, such limitations are socially created and can be dismantled through education, mentorship and increased access to opportunities.
Nwogu encouraged participants to continuously improve their technical skills through coding programmes, online learning platforms, open-source projects and practical industry exposure.
The event also featured a panel session titled Unscripted: Leading Beyond the Patterns We Inherited, where professionals from fintech, software engineering and creative industries discussed leadership, workplace culture and career advancement within Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
Panelists shared experiences on navigating organisational structures and redefining leadership approaches within their teams and industries.
A major highlight of the programme was a practical workshop tagged Prompt to Production, which introduced participants to AI-powered product development, covering areas such as prompt engineering, application design and prototype deployment.
The session ended with a buildathon where teams developed functional applications and presented their projects, with outstanding entries receiving recognition from organisers.
Moniepoint explained that the workshop was designed to bridge the gap between ideas and execution, especially for participants with limited software development experience.
Co-organiser at Women Techmakers Lagos, Funke Olasupo, said the programme aimed to move beyond motivation and focus more on practical capability building.
She noted that many women often see technology as difficult or inaccessible, but practical exposure helps build confidence and demonstrate that innovation is achievable.
The initiative forms part of Moniepoint’s wider investment in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem through programmes such as Women in Tech, DreamDevs and HatchDev, alongside partnerships with community organisations and government-backed digital skills projects.
As one of Nigeria’s rapidly growing fintech firms, Moniepoint has continued expanding its recruitment and talent development efforts amid rising demand for digital payment solutions and financial technology services across the country.
