Sharing this story at the UN CSW forum last month felt like a significant step, a moment to reflect on a journey I hadn’t fully articulated before. Growing up as an introverted child, my world was intimately tied to my immediate surroundings and the pages of the books I could find. It was a protected, somewhat naive existence, and honestly, it felt comfortable because it was all I knew.
Then, one day, my father brought home a personal computer. This was in the late 90s and early 2000s in Nigeria, a time when owning a PC was a privilege enjoyed by few. My father, as the Director of Communications in the Nigerian Air Force, had one, and for me, this new device was a source of immense fascination. I remember the thrill of typing out stories on Word, stories that had previously lived only in my handwritten journals. I was certain then that my future lay in writing. Soon after, I discovered the magic of creating images on the PC, and my curiosity began to bubble over. What else, I wondered, could this wonderful system do?
A school holiday presented an opportunity: a vocational training center where various technical skills were taught. My parents, with what seemed like logical reasoning for a girl, suggested sewing. So, I attended sewing classes, but my feet kept leading me to the hum of the computer lab. I found myself drawn to the glowing screens, eager to explore further. It was there, amidst lines of code, that I discovered the captivating world of programming languages. I spent hours engrossed in books on Java, the complex yet exhilarating language slowly revealing its secrets to me.
This newfound passion propelled me to pursue multiple IT certifications. I became a Cisco Certified Network Administrator and, simultaneously, an Oracle Certified Database Administrator. Suddenly, my world expanded exponentially. I found myself in rooms predominantly filled with men, speaking a language that was foreign to most but utterly thrilling to me. Coding, networks, and databases became my favorite topics of conversation.
I didn’t fully realize it then, but that exploration in the computer lab, those hours spent deciphering code, were laying the foundation for my pathway to freedom – freedom in my career, my business ventures, and my life choices. Even my journey as a tech founder and an advocate for economic advancement has been built upon the bedrock of my digital skills.
With time, however, I’ve come to understand that the choices and opportunities that digital skills unlocked for me are not yet accessible to all, and that deeply troubles me. It’s this realization that fuels my current endeavor: setting up REAF.org, an organization dedicated to bridging this digital divide.
Beyond that crucial mission, I also want to empower more Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to harness the full potential of technology. If you are an SME eager to leverage the power of AI and automation to grow your business, I have exciting news! We are creating a FREE AI & Automation course specifically for SMEs. To ensure its relevance and impact, we need your input. Please take this quick 2-minute survey: bit.ly/REAFAIsurvey. Your insights will directly shape the course content. Thank you!
What has been your own pathway to freedom? I’d love to hear your stories.