Key takeaways
- Women fill only about 17% of the tech workforce in Nigeria. A clear indicator of untapped talent.
- Effective recruitment removes bias, creates inclusive onboarding, and supports retention.
- Small cultural or operational changes can dramatically improve attractiveness and retention of female tech talent.
- Partnering with experienced advisers like Teasoo Consulting can help you build a tailored roadmap that fits your business and market.
Introduction
When we talk about growing a tech business in Nigeria, we often focus on skills, infrastructure, and funding. But one critical lever is often overlooked: gender diversity. Women remain significantly under-represented in tech roles in Nigeria, and that represents both a challenge and an opportunity. With thoughtful strategies, companies of any size can hire, onboard and retain female tech talent, not just because it’s fair, but because it makes business sense. This article outlines practical actions you can start now.
The current landscape for women in Nigerian tech
Research shows that many Nigerian tech firms are missing out. According to recent findings:
- Women make up only 17% of tech professionals in Nigeria.
- Female students represent just 22% of enrolment in engineering/technology programmes.
- A 2023 report showed thousands of women have been trained in tech bootcamps, yet company hiring still lags.
These gaps reflect structural, cultural and operational issues, not lack of talent. For organisations willing to act, they signal opportunity.
Why hiring women in tech matters
Business value
Diverse teams bring distinct perspectives and improve problem solving. Tech firms with higher gender diversity often see stronger innovation and employee engagement.
Market relevance
Nigeria’s digital economy is growing rapidly — companies that reflect diverse talent are better positioned to build products for a broader audience and to attract global investors.
Competitive advantage
With demand for tech skills high, companies that offer inclusive environments will have a recruitment edge especially as programmes train more women.
Practical strategies you can adopt now
Here are four actionable strategies you can begin implementing this quarter.
1. Review job descriptions & hiring language
- Remove gendered wording (e.g., “rockstar” or “ninja”) and aim for inclusive tone.
- Emphasise flexibility, mentorship, and career development in postings, items often important to female candidates.
- Share requirements as “preferred” vs “must” where possible to encourage more women to apply.
2. Build inclusive interview & onboarding practices
- Include at least one woman interviewer on the panel if possible.
- Use structured interview questions tied to role-specific competencies rather than “culture fit” alone.
- During onboarding, assign a mentor or buddy, ideally inclusive of gender diversity, to support early adjustment.
- Ensure early feedback loops. Check in after 30 and 90 days to make sure the new hire feels supported.
3. Address work-environment and operational barriers
- Consider flexible working arrangements (hybrid, remote, flexible hours) as women often balance multiple commitments.
- Create “safe zones” for discussion: peer networks, internal forums where women can voice concerns, propose improvements.
- Offer clear pathways for progression, training budgets, and visible support for career growth. Promising environments retain talent.
4. Monitor and measure inclusion outcomes
- Set a simple metric: % of female tech hires, retention rate of women in tech roles, promotion rate of women vs men.
- Review reasons for attrition specifically among women and identify patterns (e.g., lack of advancement, culture issues).
- Commit to a simple bi-annual review of gender diversity in tech roles, and include findings in leadership discussion.
How Teasoo Consulting can add value
If you’ve implemented the basics and want deeper structure, Teasoo Consulting helps you:
- Create a gender-diversity recruitment roadmap tailored to Nigerian tech firms (job-level breakdowns, pipeline sourcing, partnerships).
- Audit your onboarding and retention mechanisms to identify hidden biases and barriers.
- Build a dashboard to track and report gender diversity metrics to leadership and stakeholders.
- Deliver custom training programmes and inclusive culture workshops to embed sustainable change.
Takeaway
By reviewing your hiring language, building inclusive onboarding, addressing operational barriers and measuring outcomes, Nigerian tech firms of all sizes can start narrowing the gender gap and reaping the business benefits. If you’re ready to take this from intention to action, Teasoo Consulting is ready to help you build a sustainable, inclusive tech team that reflects Nigeria’s potential.
