Research findings show that there are 25 per cent fewer women than men online in emerging markets. This is a clear indication of the gender gap that exists in the technology arena. To bridge this gap, Intel Corporation through its “She Will Connect Programme”, has continued to educate young girls and women on how technology can maximally contribute toward economic and social development across the world.
This year, Titilope Sonuga has been appointed the official spokesperson of its 2015 “She Will Connect” program in Nigeria. She will use the platform to share her inspiring story of success and influence the lives of other women across the country in the pan Nigerian initiative which starts in June and ends May, 2016. Titilope Sonuga is my Leading Woman for this week.
Titilope Sonuga is an award winning poet, writer, actor and civil engineer whose work has graced stages and pages across Nigeria and internationally. She has featured on stages across Canada and internationally, and was invited alongside world renowned poets Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Yusef Komunyakaa, to perform at the 2011 Achebe Colloquium on Africa at Brown University. Titilope is the creator of Rouge Poetry and a founding member of the Breath in Poetry Collective.
Titilope was the winner of the 2013 RISE (Recognizing Immigrant Success in Edmonton) Award for achievement in the arts and the NBCC (National Black Coalition of Canada) Fil Fraser Award for Outstanding achievement in the arts.
As the spokesperson, Titilope will visit states across the country. She will appear as a guest in some notable radio programs and also interact with girls and women online. Working closely with enlisted Non-Governmental Organizations, Titi will participate in training girls and women across Nigeria during the one year campaign.
Speaking on her role, Titi said she is glad to have been brought on board to use her talents to communicate the message of technology to girls and women in Nigeria.
Expressing her delight on the new role Titilope said: “I am extremely excited to collaborate with Intel to give a voice to the She Will Connect program. I believe giving girls and women access by connecting them to technology creates a world of possibility for them and their communities. Through my personal journey, I have learned that having access gives you options and with those options almost anything is possible”.
I asked Titilope what the goal of the initiative is and her response said it all. Hear her “The ‘She Will Connect” initiative of Intel Corporation has a goal to reach and train 5 million young women in Africa on Information Communication Technology by 2020 and it has successfully hosted several programs to introduce women to technology in Nigeria, through workshops and trainings. The program which works closely with NGOs, government agencies, and other local business partners features three key program elements designed to help girls and women take advantage of the many opportunities provided through technology and Internet access: digital literacy; online peer network; and content and resources.”
Titilope Sonuga is an award winning poet, writer, actor and civil engineer whose work has graced stages and pages across Nigeria and internationally. Her journey is a testament to pushing boundaries and the incredible possibilities that exist when we are empowered to chase our dreams.
Titilope combines years of experience as a civil engineer with her artistic gifts. She currently plays the role of “Eki” in the NdaniTV hit television series Gidi Up. At the forefront of her endeavors is her inspiring work as a poet. She performed in the first spoken word showcase at the Chinua Achebe Colloquium on Africa at Brown University alongside world renowned poets and was selected from over 200 poets to meet the iconic American poet and activist Maya Angelou. She is the author of two collections of poetry and her poems have been translated into Spanish and Italian.
Titilope performed a stirring inauguration poem at the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015; a historic moment for the country and the first time a poet had ever been invited to perform at a Nigerian inauguration ceremony. Her undeniably visceral and compelling style of poetry and her work on the local and global stage makes her one of Nigeria’s leading performance poets.
Kemi Ajumobi
