Moniepoint has partnered with Google Developer Group Lagos and Women Techmakers Lagos to host a leadership and innovation event aimed at preparing the next generation of female tech leaders in Nigeria. The International Women's Day event, themed "Break the Pattern," was held at Moniepoint's headquarters in Lagos, bringing together women from technical and non-technical backgrounds for a full day of leadership development, product building, and career empowerment.
Breaking Old Patterns in Tech
Delivering the keynote address, Kemi Nwogu, Head of Product at Moniepoint Inc., challenged women to move beyond traditional career expectations and actively shape the future of technology. Speaking on the topic "Breaking the Pattern: How Women Can Redefine the Future of Tech," Nwogu emphasized that progress for women in tech requires more than access to existing systems—it demands confidence, ownership, and the courage to redesign those systems entirely. She noted that many girls are often discouraged from pursuing careers in science and technology due to stereotypes portraying tech as too difficult or unsuitable for women. According to her, these limiting beliefs are social constructs that can be dismantled. "The future of tech needs leaders who build people, not just products, and cultures, not just systems," she said. She encouraged participants to focus on steady growth through online courses, coding bootcamps, open-source projects, and practical problem-solving, stressing that every skill learned should align with a clear career journey.
Industry Leaders Share Real Experiences
The event also featured a panel session titled "Unscripted: Leading Beyond the Patterns We Inherited," moderated by Atinuke Oluwabamikemi Kayode. Panellists 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 examined leadership stereotypes within Nigeria's tech ecosystem, including workplace cultures that equate productivity with burnout, rigid customer-facing structures, and top-down leadership styles common in creative industries. Panellists shared how they challenged these patterns within their teams and organizations, offering practical lessons on leading differently and building healthier work environments.
From Ideas to Live Products
Beyond inspiration and discussion, participants were allowed to build real solutions during a hands-on workshop titled "Prompt to Production," facilitated by Taiwo Famakinde. The workshop guided attendees through prompt design, rapid prototyping, and the deployment of functional applications using AI-powered tools. Many participants entered with little or no prior software development experience, but by the end of the session, they had built and deployed working solutions during a live Buildathon. Outstanding projects were recognized and rewarded during the closing ceremony. Funke Olasupo, Co-organiser of Women Techmakers Lagos, said the goal was to move beyond motivation and create proof of capability. She explained that the event was designed to bridge the gap between having ideas and actually building products, helping women gain both technical confidence and leadership clarity.
Strengthening Nigeria's Tech Talent Pipeline
The "Break the Pattern" event forms part of Moniepoint's wider investment in Nigeria's technology talent ecosystem. As one of the country's leading fintech employers, the company has consistently invested in programs aimed at deepening engineering talent and supporting career growth. Its initiatives include the Women in Tech programme, DreamDevs, HatchDev, and partnerships with government-backed talent development projects such as 3MTT. Through collaborations like this with GDG Lagos and Women Techmakers, Moniepoint is positioning more women not just as participants in the tech industry, but as the architects shaping its future.
