As the world marks International Women’s Day, conversations around gender equality are increasingly expanding.
The conversation around women in tech is gradually shifting from just participation to influence. As digital platforms reshape how people access finance, healthcare and everyday services, more women are helping define the thinking behind the products themselves.
For Kesiebi Daniel, a product designer working on digital healthcare platforms, influence begins in the decisions that define how technology works for everyday people and not just in writing code and designing interfaces.
“Women are contributing in very practical ways,” she said. “In product and innovation roles especially, they are helping teams think more deeply about usability, accessibility, trust and real user needs.”
Her work focuses on simplifying complex digital systems and designing products that make essential services easier to access. But beyond interface design, she sees product thinking as a critical driver of business success.
For many companies, product design is still viewed primarily as a creative function. But in reality, the decisions made during product development often determine whether a digital platform will gain traction in the market or struggle to survive.
According to Daniel, product choices shape nearly every stage of a user’s journey.
“They influence how easily users understand a product, how quickly they get value from it and whether they come back,” she said.
Something as simple as a clearer onboarding process, more intuitive navigation or a faster transaction flow can significantly improve adoption and retention.
On the business side, those improvements translate into measurable outcomes.
“Good product decisions reduce friction, improve efficiency and create the kind of user experience that supports long-term growth,” she said.
As emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence begin reshaping industries globally, African companies are also exploring how to incorporate these tools into their operations.
But Daniel believes the key to meaningful innovation lies not in chasing trends but in solving real problems.
“It’s easy to get caught up in new technology,” she said. “But the real value comes from asking what process it improves, what decision it supports, or what experience it makes better.”
For product teams, curiosity and experimentation remain essential, but execution and user understanding are just as important.
Companies that combine those elements, she said, will be better positioned to compete as digital markets evolve.
Over the past decade, Nigeria has become one of Africa’s most active technology hubs, producing startups that have attracted global investors and expanded across the continent.
While financial technology has dominated much of that growth, Daniel believes the next phase of innovation may emerge from sectors tackling deeper infrastructure challenges.
“There is still a lot of opportunity in areas like digital healthcare, logistics, education, business tools and embedded services,” she said.
Many of these opportunities lie in designing products that reflect everyday African realities rather than simply adapting models from other markets.
Solutions that are grounded in local behaviour, infrastructure limitations and economic conditions, she said, tend to resonate more strongly with users.
Why some products scale while others fail
Nigeria’s startup ecosystem is known for its speed. New platforms launch frequently, but only a small number manage to achieve sustained growth.
The difference often comes down to clarity.
“Products that scale usually have a clear understanding of the problem they are solving and the users they are serving,” Daniel said.
Launching quickly can help startups test ideas, but long-term success requires continuous learning.
“Products that fade out are often built around assumptions,” she said. “The ones that succeed are built around feedback, data and a deeper understanding of user behaviour over time.”
Trust remains a central issue in sectors like financial technology and digital healthcare, where users must share personal or financial information.
Here, product design plays a critical but sometimes overlooked role.
When users can easily understand how a system works and what to expect from each step, their confidence increases.
“Simple things like clear language, intuitive flows, visible confirmations and reliable performance can make a big difference,” Daniel said.
In these sectors, design decisions are not only aesthetic choices but part of a broader trust-building process.
Beyond product development, Daniel is also passionate about helping more women enter the technology industry.
Over the years, she has mentored young women exploring careers in product, design and other technology roles.
One of the most common challenges they face, she says, is access.
“Access to guidance, opportunities and clear information about how to get started,” she said.
For many people transitioning into technology, understanding the different roles within the industry can be confusing without mentorship or professional networks.
Providing that clarity can make a significant difference.
The growing presence of women in product and leadership roles is also influencing how digital products are designed.
Because product development is fundamentally about understanding human behaviour, diverse teams often bring more perspectives into the conversation.
“Balanced teams tend to make better product decisions,” Daniel said.
More viewpoints mean more questions about who a product serves, how it works for different users and what might be missing.
In fast-moving technology environments, those perspectives can translate into more thoughtful and inclusive solutions.
Data as a competitive advantage
Another area where startups are evolving is the use of data and analytics to guide product decisions.
While many companies track high-level metrics such as downloads or sign-ups, Daniel believes deeper behavioural insights often provide more valuable guidance.
“It’s not just about how many people sign up,” she said. “It’s about where they drop off, what features they use repeatedly and what patterns show real value.”
Startups that combine analytics with direct user feedback often improve faster and build products that are more relevant to their audiences.
Advice for the next generation
As more young Nigerians explore careers in technology, Daniel encourages women interested in the field to start with curiosity rather than waiting until they feel fully prepared.
The technology industry, she notes, is wide and constantly evolving.
“Many people enter from different backgrounds,” she said. “What matters is understanding how digital products work and where your strengths fit in.”
Mentorship, community and practical learning can make the transition easier.
“You don’t have to have everything figured out from day one,” she said. “You just have to start and keep building.”
