Bola Shobowale

Nigerian tech advocate bridging gender gaps in STEM through mentorship and educational initiatives.

Bola Shobowale is a Nigerian software engineer and founder of African Women in Technology (AWIT), an organization empowering women to excel in tech careers. Born in Lagos in 1989, Shobowale faced systemic barriers as one of few female computer science students at the University of Ibadan. She launched AWIT in 2010 to provide scholarships, coding bootcamps, and networking opportunities for African women.

Under her leadership, AWIT has trained over 5,000 women across 15 African countries, partnering with tech giants like Google and Microsoft. Shobowale also co-created the Pan-African Girls' Tech Innovation Hub, which hosts annual hackathons addressing issues like e-agriculture and fintech. Her LinkedIn articles highlight how gender diversity drives innovation.

In 2021, Shobowale co-authored the UN Women Report on Tech Inclusion in Africa, influencing policy changes in Kenya and Nigeria. She was named Bloomberg's Top 10 African Tech Leaders in 2022. Shobowale’s vision for a tech-driven Africa remains rooted in equity and inclusion.