The need to address rising incidents of sexual harassment in Nigeria took a new turn recently as activists and civil rights organizations are busy calling on young women to speak out and share their stories. Presently the Nigeria’s tech community has acknowledged the need to have a serious conversation on sexual harassment within the industry. This became necessary with the current allegation from a lady named Kelechi Udoagwu who was an alumna of the MEST training programme. She is accusing Kendall Ananyi, co-founder and CEO of Tizeti, a popular internet service provider based in Lagos of sexually molesting her during the programme.
Ms. Kelechi Udoagwu who took to her Twitter handle to make the accusations, wrote that the said act happened during the MEST training programme, Udoagwu narrated, Ananyi sexually exposed himself to her begging her to do anything she could do for anything I could do. While she admitted that nothing more happened, and that she never reported the incident. However, she noted that in the evening after the incident, two close friends, both of them males, comforted her and told her “everything will be alright.”
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While this may appear vague, and even infuriating to some people, it is a loaded statement. Implicit in it is the recognition of Ananyi’s power and influence in the tech community; a man who felt entitled willing to abuse his access and privileges to exploit women. Ananyi hasn’t denied the allegations and has since locked his Twitter account. Coming at a time when the entire country is grappling with three horrid cases of rape, the allegations against Ananyi has cast a chill over Nigeria’s nascent tech community.
As a male-dominated industry, perhaps we should have understood that something like this was likely. In industries where men are the “traditional” gatekeepers, women tend to be excluded, marginalised or exploited should they try to get in or advance their careers. In Nigeria, sexual harassment is pervasive in industries such as entertainment, government, banking, education – all of which are male-dominated. Interestingly, the tech industry is an agglomeration of professionals from all of these sectors and then some. Available data have been warning us that the Nigerian tech community may be one industry where gatekeepers have excluded and or exploited women. Women in Tech, a report by TechCabal, showed 55.6% of Nigerian female founders say they face gender-related challenges in the industry. Only 33% of the senior management positions in tech and media are occupied by women. In 2016, the ratio of male to female developers in the country was 9:1. And across Africa, only 9% of African female-led startups received funding between 2012 and 2017.
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Together, these stats show that women struggle to get access and opportunities; a reality their male counterparts rarely encounter. This exposes them to obnoxious male characters who may try to exploit their situation. “From our findings,” the report noted, “the [Nigerian] tech community is a male-dominated space and pursuing a career in the field of technology is stereotyped to be meant for only men.” As a leader in the tech community, Ananyi is a gatekeeper; just another male gatekeeper making it difficult for women to make progress.
Although his company, Tizeti, has issued a statement and is currently investigating Udoagwu’s allegation, Ananyi is yet to resign. His continued stay as CEO may influence the outcome of that investigation, possibly making it a waste of time. Regardless, this is an important time for introspection, especially among male tech leaders. Victims of sexual harassment should not always speak up first. 65% of women studying STEM-related courses are doing so because of their passion. This passion will only last if there are tech companies with the right atmosphere for women.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry