The 2025 WoFHoF Summit: Spotlight on Gender Diversity and Technology

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The 2025 edition of the MMS Hall of Fame Induction and International Women’s Leadership Summit in Abuja was more than a gathering—it was a clarion call for gender diversity and inclusive leadership in a technology-driven world.

Bringing together influential women leaders, policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices from across Nigeria and beyond, the summit blended intellectual discourse with recognition. Keynote addresses, paper presentations, panel sessions, and the prestigious Hall of Fame induction ceremony underscored the urgency of fostering sustainability through women’s leadership.

The theme, “Fostering Sustainability, Women and Leadership with Technologies,” captured the essence of the summit: leveraging technology as an equalizer to expand opportunities, deepen inclusivity, and strengthen the participation of Northern Nigerian women in national development.

According to Mr. Kingsley Anaroke, CEO of the MMS Hall of Fame initiative, the summit’s strategic focus includes the following:

Promote sustainability in gender diversity across all sectors.

Leverage technology as an equalizer for education, finance, and leadership.

Strengthen Northern women’s participation in governance and socio-economic development.

Review women’s leadership landscape and scale technological tools for influence.

Celebrate outstanding women as role models inspiring next-generation leaders.

The communiqué states that the summit’s heartbeat was its emphasis on mentoring, capacity building, and instilling entrepreneurial culture in younger generations—ensuring that diversity is not just a conversation but a lived reality.

Paper presentations at the summit provided research-driven insights into how technology can sustain gender diversity and empower women across sectors.

The presentations among other things highlighted the following:

-Port Management in a Blue Economy – Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho emphasized women’s role in effective port operations.

-Shipping Regulation in Smart Ports – Barr. Pius Akutah spotlighted women’s inclusion in maritime governance.

-Blockchain and Social Finance – Mr. Obed Levite showcased fintech as a tool for women’s empowerment.

-Informal Education for Northern Girls – Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris advocated digital literacy through the Almajiri system.

-Building Sustainable Businesses – Mr. Charles Odii outlined opportunities for women in tech-driven enterprises.

-Women and Leadership with Technologies – Governor Alex Otti (represented) reinforced technology’s role in inclusive leadership.

Other emphasis includes women in sustainable leadership yielding socio-economic benefits; the benefits of emerging technologies—AI, fintech, agritech—in empowering women-led businesses, informal education as bridge to knowledge gaps for rural and northern women; the essentials of policy reforms in strengthening gender inclusion in tech ecosystems; and the place of digital systems in creating new opportunities by shifting tasks from physical to knowledge-based.

The message was clear: with equal access, women can thrive in every sphere of human endeavor.