A virtual event was hosted by the Flour Mills of Nigeria's Women Network with the goal of promoting the use of technology and innovation to empower women and advance gender equality. Expert speakers from a variety of industries presented their knowledge and experiences at the event about how technology and innovation can be leveraged to close the gender gap and advance equality. 

Flour Mills of Nigeria Chairman, John Coumantaros, FMN Group Managing Director, Omoboyede Olusanya, Ayotola Jagun, the Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of Oando, Ronke Onadeko, a multi-sector specialist, author, and executive coach, and Gbolaro Olulade, the Head of Corporate Strategy and Economic Intelligence at FMN, were among the speakers at the virtual event.

During the event, the Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), John Coumantaros in his speech underlined the commitment of FMN to promote gender equality and ensure that women are treated properly. Mr. Coumantaros emphasized FMN's long history of supporting women before urging female audience members to not let their gender prevent them from achieving their goals. He said in part: “You must treat yourself with respect in order for those around you to respect you. Your gender should not be the reason to stop you from pursuing your dreams.”  

FMN Women’s Network chairperson, Olasubomi Sofowora in her keynote address, gave an overview of the network and its commitment to promoting women and their development. She said: “It is also availed an opportunity to advocate for gender equality and celebrate achievements that have advanced women’s status around the world. We are definitely in a good place as I am proud to be part of an organization that is genuinely pushing the advancement of gender equality and inclusion.”

During the virtual event, keynote speakers had an interactive session with participants on the need for more women in the technology industry and how digital innovation can be used to create more opportunities for women. Multi-sector specialist, author, and executive coach, Mrs. Ronke Onadeko emphasized the importance of gender diversity in the technology sector and highlighted the significant contributions that women have made to the field. 

She noted that “given the right environment, women add value.” According to her: “Women tend to think that the whole technology package belongs to men. Women should start thinking differently. We are too silent when it comes to innovation, creation, and creativity. If a man learns how to lace a shoe in ten minutes, the whole world would hear about it. Women have been doing a lot but they don’t have the time to make it breaking news. However, we need not be silent tech bulls.”

Mrs. Ayotola Jagun the Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of Oando also emphasized the need for society to stop making women live under the shadow of men. She highlighted how financing sometimes can limit women in terms of pursuing their dreams.

The speakers also spoke about the role of technology in promoting gender equality in developing countries and the importance of digital literacy for women and girls. Mr. Gbolaro Olulade the Head of Corporate Strategy and Economic Intelligence at FMN highlighted digital technology tools that women can use to improve themselves and their career productivity, saying:  

“There are many online platforms that anyone can learn from and get certificates from those platforms. There are also collaborative tools, AI is currently helping those whose work is along the lines of creativity. There are also wellness tools one can use for the promotion of physical and mental health”

The event also included a question-and-answer session where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences. The event has highlighted the potential of digitALL innovation to promote gender equality and empower women worldwide."