Stephanie Imohede, Africa Skilling Leader at TeKnowledge; Oluwatomisin Mordi, Country HR Manager at TeKnowledge; Ifeoluwa Ayoade, Vice President, Product & Engineering at Zest Payments Ltd; Dr Nefi Wole Abu, Co-Founder of Lane Consulting; Aileen Allkins, President and CEO of TeKnowledge; Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation and Olatomiwa Williams, Chief Growth & AI Officer for MEA at Microsoft
In celebration of International Women’s Day, TeKnowledge convened senior industry leaders for an Executive Women in Leadership Brunch in Lagos, bringing together influential voices across technology, finance and human capital to discuss the theme ‘Leadership with Confidence – Women Powering Africa’s Digital Leap.’
The event was hosted by Stephanie Imohede, Africa Skilling Leader at TeKnowledge, who anchored discussions with accomplished women leaders, including Olatomiwa Williams, Chief Growth & AI Officer for MEA at Microsoft; Ifeoluwa Ayoade, Vice President, Product & Engineering at Zest Payments Ltd; and Oluwatomisin Mordi, Country HR Manager at TeKnowledge Nigeria. The session was moderated by Aileen Allkins, President and CEO of TeKnowledge.
The gathering formed part of TeKnowledge’s ongoing efforts to foster leadership dialogue and advance inclusive participation in Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Opening the conversation, Allkins emphasized the importance of intentional leadership development and the role organisations must play in nurturing diverse talent pipelines.
“Diversity in leadership does not happen by accident,” she noted.
“It requires deliberate investment in people, mentorship and opportunity. When organisations create environments where women can grow and lead, the impact extends far beyond the workplace.”
Throughout the discussion, speakers reflected on the realities of leading through rapid technological transformation, particularly in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Panelists highlighted the importance of adaptability, continuous learning and collaborative leadership as organisations navigate complex change.
Williams underscored that leadership today requires a willingness to embrace uncertainty while bringing teams along through transparent communication and shared purpose.
“Leadership in times of change is about helping people understand where the organisation is heading and why their role matters in that journey,” she said. “When teams feel included in the vision, they become champions of transformation rather than resistors of it.”
The conversation also explored the role experienced leaders must play in supporting the next generation of women professionals entering the workforce.
Panelists encouraged attendees to actively mentor and create pathways for emerging talent.
Delivering a keynote reflection during the event, Nefi Wole Abu (PhD), Co-Founder of Lane Consulting highlighted that leadership influence goes beyond positional authority and must be grounded in credibility, purpose and consistency.
“Leadership is not simply about the title you hold,” she said. “It is about the influence you build, the relationships you invest in and the clarity of purpose that guides your decisions.”
The session concluded with a call for continued collaboration across sectors to ensure that women remain at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation journey.
By convening industry leaders and fostering candid conversations around leadership, innovation and inclusion, TeKnowledge continues to support the development of talent and ideas that will shape the future of Africa’s technology ecosystem.
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the ‘Aviation Writer of the Year’ Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
