NFTI Hosts International Women’s Day Event on Building Inclusive Tech Systems
The Natview Foundation for Technology Innovation (NFTI), in collaboration with WomenTechmakers and Click-On Data Campus, recently convened an International Women’s Day event themed When Women Build, Society Moves.
The event brought together professionals, community leaders, and technology enthusiasts for a series of TEDx-style talks exploring what it truly means for women to build, lead, and shape systems within technology and beyond.
Opening the session, Naomi Akpikie focused on the intentional design of tech communities, emphasizing that inclusion does not happen by chance. She highlighted the importance of structured support systems particularly “hand-holding” and clear pathways that enable women to re-enter the workforce after career breaks. She also encouraged women to recognize and assert their value, especially in how they price their skills and contributions.
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Zainab Saidu Idris addressed the subtle cultural patterns that push Northern women out of tech spaces, noting how societal expectations often encourage silence and hesitation. She called for the creation of safer, more inclusive spaces where women can learn, grow, and extend grace to one another, while also finding a balance between being vocal and reflective in professional environments.
Taking the conversation further, Mohammed Bayero Yayandi challenged the notion of passive allyship. In his talk, he emphasized that support alone is not enough, urging men to take active responsibility in building systems and structures that make it easier for women to thrive. He stressed that inclusion must be embedded into the design of communities, not treated as an afterthought.
Rounding off the session, Joy Victor explored how technology reflects the people who build it. She highlighted the risks women face in digital spaces and underscored the urgent need for more women to take on challenging roles, enter decision-making spaces, and actively shape the datasets and systems that influence everyday life.
The event reinforced a central message when women are empowered to build, their impact extends beyond individual success to transform communities and systems at large.
Through conversations like these, NFTI and its partners continue to drive forward a vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and innovative technology ecosystem.
