Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin | |
|---|---|
 Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, 2018 | |
| Born | 19 May, 1985 (33 years) Ondo State, Nigeria |
| Education | University of Lagos |
| Occupation(s) | Women's rights activist, Founder Pearls Africa |
| Website | Pearls Africa.org |
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin (Born Abisoye Abosede Ajayi, 19 May 1985) is a Nigerian women's rights activist. She is the founder of Pearls Africa Youth Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization aimed at educating young girls in under-served areas in Nigeria with technology skills. On November 1 2018, Ajayi-Akinfolarin was named one of ten CNN Heroes of the year, 2018.
Early life and education
Abisoye was born in Akure, the capital city of Ondo state in Nigeria She attended the Nigerian Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) and later attended the University of Lagos, where she received a BSc in Business Administration.
Professional career
Ajayi-Akinfolarin began her career working for E. D. P Audit and Security Associates. She worked at the company for seven years, beginning as an intern and being promoted to the level of Associate Consultant. Working in technology, Ajayi-Akinfolarin discovered a large gender gap. A government survey conducted in Nigeria in 2013, found that less than 8% of professional, management or technological positions are held by Nigerian women. Wanting to help close that gap and encourage more women in her field, Ajayi-Akinfolarin established her own non-profit organization.[1]
In 2012, Ajayi-Akinfolarin founded Pearls Africa Youth Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization that assists girls in developing technology skills through various programs including; GirlsCoding, G.C Mentors, GirlsInSTEM and Empowered Hands. [2][3]. Since 2012, the organization has trained over 400 young women to code.[4]
Awards and recognition
- CNN Hero of the Year award, 2018
References
- ^ "Disadvantaged Girls Change their Communities by Learning to Code". CNN. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Tink Africa on GirlsCoding".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Pearls Africa". Viva Naija.com.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2018 revealed". CNN. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
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