In a strategic push to advance Nigeria’s digital economy, the Lagos State Government convened a closed door Women in Technology Policy Roundtable at the Lagos State Government House. The session brought together ten leading female technology executives driving innovation across identity systems, health technology, enterprise software, and public sector solutions.
Hosted under the Office of the Governor, the roundtable is part of Lagos State’s broader Smart Lagos strategy, which aims to integrate digital solutions across healthcare, identity verification, data governance, financial inclusion, and emerging innovation sectors. Officials explained that the roundtable was designed to “gather insights from women leading high impact technology ventures and to co develop policy recommendations supporting Lagos’ digital transformation priorities.”
The ten invited founders and innovators represented a diverse cross-section of Nigeria’s tech landscape. They included Dr. Kemi Areola of TechHer Medical, focusing on MedTech and women’s health; Ijeoma Udoka of FinEdge Systems, specializing in FinTech APIs and payments infrastructure; Aisha Mohammed of SmartAgriChain, working on agricultural supply chain technology; Linda Okoye of CityGov Digital Bureau, focusing on GovTech and data policy; Ayoola Adetutu Oniyinde, founder of Cadastra360 NG and MediTrust NG, active in PropTech, GovTech, and HealthTech; Oyinlade Oladipo of EduAccess Digital, specializing in education technology; Yemi Adepegba of BetaBank Digital, working on financial infrastructure; Chisom Opara of SheCode Africa Labs, promoting STEM talent and inclusion; Dr. Mariam Abiola of the State Health Data & Analytics Unit, working on health data systems; and Chidozie Felicitas Chiamaka, founder of CredVerify NG and HealthSyn NG, focusing on digital identity and HealthTech.
During the roundtable, government officials and attendees explored key areas such as improving digital identity verification to reduce fraud and standardize credential checks, enhancing data interoperability across state and private health institutions, expanding telehealth services for underserved communities, strengthening NDPR compliant infrastructure for data security, supporting women-led startups through funding, regulatory guidance, and innovation programs, and promoting public-private collaboration for youth digital skills development.
The insights gathered will feed into major state initiatives, including the Digital Identity Framework Update 2023, the Smart Health Systems Roadmap, and the Lagos Women in Tech Innovation Support Programme. Government representatives confirmed that the roundtable will become an annual engagement, fostering continuous dialogue between policymakers and women shaping Nigeria’s digital future. A spokesperson highlighted that the event underscores Lagos State’s commitment to “building a collaborative ecosystem where innovators and the government can jointly strengthen digital infrastructure and accelerate economic growth.”