Before the First Cohort

We founded Girls into Tech with the goal of encouraging more girls to pursue careers in technology. So far, we have seen our participants progress from learning basic skills to creating digital products.

The campaign began in November 2023, and our first cohort launched in February 2024. We received over 2,100 applications, primarily from girls in Nigeria, with a small percentage from other parts of Africa and around the world.

To kick off the first cohort, we hosted a webinar on our partner eelSpace’s YouTube channel, featuring notable figures in the tech industry: Bolanle Banwo Osadolo, Raheemat Atata, and Oladimeji Ajegbile. They spoke to our community, offering motivation and advice for the journey ahead. The live stream garnered over 2,400 views, and the feedback from our community was overwhelmingly positive.

Proof

During the First Cohort

Throughout the first cohort, participants were grouped into teams to collaborate, combining their skills to develop a simple yet impactful product or at least produce a solid proposal with initial product concepts. The team that developed the most innovative and practical solution was rewarded and offered ongoing mentorship to continue their growth.

We had over 16 groups, each with at least 10 members. Verify Pro, an app designed to verify the legitimacy of products and combat counterfeit goods in the Nigerian market, was the winning project from Cohort 1. You can watch the final project presentations from the top 3 groups on our YouTube channel.

After the First Cohort

As of September 16, 2024, we have over 2,000 active members in our WhatsApp community, with participants continuing to create digital products.

What is next?

Registration for Cohort 2 is now open! We’re also producing content on our YouTube channel to help our community learn new skills and navigate the tech space.

If you’d like to offer mentorship to our community, please contact us.