On Saturday, June 18th at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi – Intel® West Africa hosted the SheWill Connect networking event to connect organizations who serve the diverse needs of women. Attendees found the session interactive and engaging as Intel® West Africa discussed its women empowerment initiatives and 2016 strategy on women. Intel® West Africa aims to develop and build an ecosystem to garner assistance for organizations that support women.
In attendance was Aderemi Ademiju who represented the AWP Network, Oreoluwa Somolu-Lesi – Founder of W.TEC, Babatunde Akinola, and Titilope Sonuga.
Below are a few key lessons from the interactive and engaging session:
- We understand that priorities vary across demographics; for instance, girls who live in Northern Nigeria are more likely to value security above all, while girls who reside in the Southwest region (i.e Lagos) may appreciate money more.
- We know that “the most effective number of girls one can educate at a time is 20.”
- Focusing on numbers from the get go is NOT the most effective approach. “The discussion that happens in the boardroom may not be the same that happens in real life.”
- It is not so much the quantity, but the quality of impact. “Helping a girl has a butterfly effect. Educate a girl and she educates other people, and they educate other people. That is how one reaches targets, numbers and goals.”
- Mentoring is a long process. “Someone needs to take the responsibility of finding those who want to connect and connect them, rather than trying to connect everybody.”
AWP Network 
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