Galaxy Backbone joins the global crusade led by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) by describing ICT as a great career choice for girls and young women.
The statement was made in Abuja during the prize giving ceremony of “My ICT Innovation” competition hosted by the Ministry of Communication Technology as part of the annual celebration of International Girls in ICT Day – an ITU initiative.
The International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated annually around the world on the fourth Thursday in April.
It gives girls and young women the opportunity to engage with information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a range of exciting ways, encouraging them to consider a future in the technology sector.
To date, over 111,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 3,500 events held in 140 countries around the world.
Galaxy Backbone, a leading public sector ICT Infrastructure and services provider, advised girls and young women in Nigeria not to be discouraged by challenges but to see a career in ICT as a great choice.
In the words of Galaxy representative at the event, Miss Tolulope Oduneye, one of young female Computer Engineers in the company, “a career in ICT is like an untapped gold mine it has so with many treasures.
ICT is a broad field with limitless, exciting projects, cutting edge innovations, fast changing with flexibility in work choices. Showing interest in ICT will lead to an impactful career.
It has links with almost every profession such as medicine, finance, forensics, education, environment, biotech, e.t.c.. Please don’t be scared about subjects like mathematics because they are easy once you learn the formulas and methodologies. I would like you to know that ICT is one of the fastest growing industry that brings about increase in economic growth anywhere in the world and I encourage you to be a part of that and not let your gender limit you”.
Miss Oduneye was one of the four speakers chosen by the Ministry to inspire the girls in attendance about the benefits of adopting ICT as a career choice.
In her speech, she told the story of how she abandoned her dream of being a medical doctor, “I had as a kid made medicine my career choice and really wanted to study it as a course, but during the period I was about to enter the university, one of my mentors advised me to go for computer engineering and that he believes that with my analytical mind I would do well. I was skeptical because I was doing very well in biology and medicine seemed like an obvious choice. I usually got 60-70 scores in mathematics compared to the 80-90s in biology and also only three universities in Nigeria were offering the course for admission at that time. But since I liked challenges I began to visualize that I could make it. I buckled up on my study and eventually got admission to the university and I did well. I graduated from the university and got employed by Galaxy Backbone Ltd. As usual I was the first female in the Network Operations Center in the company. Most females would rather not work there; I have had to speak to installers that would rather be commissioned by a male engineer but with patience and persistence I soon convinced them that I was as capable as any male Engineer. So today I will advise you to see the great opportunities in ICT and go out there and be the best you can”.