Oreoluwa Somolu Lesi is a Nigerian social entrepreneur, economist and information technology advocate best known as the founder and executive director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), a nonprofit organisation focused on equipping women and girls with technology and digital skills.
Through W.TEC, which she established in 2008, Lesi has worked to expand access to information and communication technology, encourage girls to pursue STEM-related opportunities and address the gender gap in technology. Her work has earned recognition from organisations including the Anita Borg Institute, Ashoka, ICANN, Vital Voices and other technology and social-impact institutions.
Early Life and Interest in Technology
Oreoluwa Lesi was born and raised in Nigeria. Her father worked as an electrical engineer, and her early exposure to technology helped develop her interest in computing.
As a teenager, Lesi created a software application that was later used to manage operations at her parents’ bookshop. The experience gave her an early opportunity to apply technology to a practical business problem.
She attended Queen’s College, Lagos, before studying computer programming. Her early experiences with technology eventually developed into a broader interest in how digital skills could create educational and economic opportunities, particularly for women and girls.
Education
Lesi later moved to the United Kingdom, where she studied Economics at the University of Essex and earned a bachelor’s degree.
While at university, she started a small business typing essays and assignments for other students. The experience contributed to her understanding of how technology could be used to create economic opportunities.
She subsequently obtained a master’s degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also studied Applied Sciences at Harvard University Extension School.
Her academic background brought together economics, information systems, technology and social development, areas that would later become central to her work.
Early Professional Career
After completing her studies, Lesi worked in the United States with the Education Development Center, Inc., initially as a research assistant and later as a technology associate.
She returned to Nigeria in 2005 and joined Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultancy. There, she managed a corporate social responsibility initiative focused on developing the science and technology skills of young people.
Her professional experiences in education, technology and skills development helped shape the direction of her future work in Nigeria.
Founding the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre
In 2008, Lesi founded the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre, commonly known as W.TEC.
At the time, Nigeria’s technology ecosystem was considerably less developed than it would become in subsequent years, while awareness of the gender gap in technology was also relatively limited. Lesi and W.TEC therefore entered a space where promoting technology education among girls required both awareness-building and practical training.
W.TEC was established with a focus on empowering women and girls socially and economically through information technology education.
Over the years, the organisation has developed programmes in Lagos, Anambra and Kwara states. These include the She Creates Camps and the W.TEC Academy, which provides technology-focused after-school activities.
According to the source, W.TEC has impacted more than 27,000 young women and teachers through its programmes.
Expanding Access to Technology Education
One of W.TEC’s major areas of work has been introducing girls to technology, digital skills and STEM education.
The organisation has also developed initiatives designed to make technology education more inclusive. One example is the Inclusive Technology for All, or IT4All, project, launched in partnership with the Children’s Developmental Centre. The project introduces technology and broader STEM concepts to students with developmental disabilities.
In 2014, W.TEC partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology under the leadership of Dr. Omobola Johnson to develop the Digital Girls Club.
The programme was initially piloted in 12 schools in each geopolitical zone of Nigeria before being expanded to additional schools. It used an online curriculum that teachers could access and deploy in their respective schools.
Through initiatives such as these, Lesi’s work has focused not only on teaching girls how to use technology but also on creating pathways through which technology skills can contribute to education, entrepreneurship and future employment.
Promoting Women in Technology
A central theme of Lesi’s work has been closing the gender gap in technology.
W.TEC has worked through camps, mentorship programmes, partnerships and technology education initiatives to encourage girls to develop digital and entrepreneurial skills.
Lesi has also highlighted the importance of seeing more women progress from participation in technology programmes into long-term careers in the technology sector. The organisation’s alumni and the growth of its programmes have become part of its broader effort to build a stronger pipeline of women in technology.
The organisation’s work has attracted international recognition, including the 2019 EQUALS in Tech Award in the Skills category, the 2019 Nigeria Internet Registration Association Presidential Award for Women’s Development and recognition as a 2020 WSIS Prizes Champion in the Access to Information and Knowledge category.
Tim Berners-Lee and W.TEC
One of the notable moments in W.TEC’s history came in 2019 when Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, visited the organisation.
The visit formed part of a global tour marking the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. During his visit to W.TEC, Berners-Lee met girls participating in the organisation’s programmes.
The following year, TIME invited six prominent figures, including Berners-Lee, to write letters to young people of their choice. Berners-Lee chose to write to the girls participating in W.TEC’s programmes.
The episode brought international attention to the organisation’s work and its efforts to encourage girls to participate in technology.
Awards and Recognition
Lesi has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work in technology, entrepreneurship and social development.
Among the recognitions listed in the source are:
- 2020 OkayAfrica 100 Women
- One of the five women recognised by Technext as defining Nigeria’s technology space in 2019
- 2018 Her Network Woman of the Year in Technology
- 2018 Leading Ladies Africa 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria
- 2017 SME100 and Invicta Top 100 Female-Owned Businesses in Nigeria
- 2016 #YTech100 Special Recognition Award
- 2016 YNaija #YTech100 recognition
- 2014 Leadership Award from the La Roche Leadership Foundation
- 2014 YNaija Top 100 Young People in Technology
- 2010 Vision 2020 Youth Empowerment & Restoration Initiative Recognition Award
- 2009 Anita Borg Change Agent Award
- 2008 Systers Pass It On Award from the Anita Borg Institute
These recognitions reflect the range of Lesi’s work across technology education, women’s empowerment and social entrepreneurship.
Fellowships and Global Leadership
Lesi has also participated in several international fellowship programmes.
In 2020, she was an ICANN 69 Fellow, following her participation as an ICANN 66 Fellow in 2019. The ICANN fellowship programme exposes participants to the organisation’s global internet governance community while providing mentorship and professional development opportunities.
She was also a Vital Voices Lead Fellow in 2014 and became an Ashoka Fellow in 2013.
Her participation in these programmes has connected her work in Nigeria with broader international networks focused on social entrepreneurship, technology, leadership and development.
Publications and Thought Leadership
Beyond her organisational work, Lesi has contributed to publications dealing with education, digital technology, women’s development and social change.
Her listed publications include Making the Most of On-line Learning: An Introduction to Learning on the Internet, published through the Education Development Center, and Telling Our Own Stories: African Women Blogging for Social Change.
Her more recent contributions include work examining the role of booksellers in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, philanthropy in gender justice and digital rights, and the development of a pipeline supporting girls in STEM as they progress into technology careers.
These publications complement her practical work by contributing to wider conversations around education, technology, gender and development.
Personal Life
Lesi is married to Gboyega Lesi and resides in Lagos, Nigeria.
Building a More Inclusive Technology Future
Oreoluwa Lesi’s career has centred on the belief that access to technology and digital skills can create meaningful educational and economic opportunities.
From her early interest in programming to her work in the United States and her return to Nigeria, her career eventually led to the establishment of W.TEC in 2008. The organisation has since developed programmes aimed at helping girls and women gain technology skills while encouraging greater participation in STEM.
Her work has also evolved alongside Nigeria’s technology ecosystem. What began at a time when awareness of the gender gap in technology was relatively limited has grown into a broader movement involving technology education, mentorship, entrepreneurship and inclusion.
Through W.TEC, Lesi has helped place girls and women at the centre of conversations about Nigeria’s digital future. Her work continues to demonstrate how technology education can be used not only to develop technical skills but also to expand opportunities for social and economic participation.
Oreoluwa Lesi Today
Oreoluwa Lesi remains associated with W.TEC and its mission of advancing technology education and opportunities for women and girls.
Her career combines economics, information technology, education and social entrepreneurship. From developing technology projects as a young student to building one of Nigeria’s notable organisations focused on girls and technology, Lesi has spent much of her professional life working to make digital opportunity more accessible.
Her legacy is closely connected to the growing participation of Nigerian women and girls in technology and to the continuing effort to close the gender gap within Africa’s digital economy.
Editorial Note
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