The TechMinds Girls Empowerment Foundation (TMG Empower), a leading force in equipping girls with digital skills and mentorship, marked the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child with a two-day celebration in Nnewi, Anambra State, and Lagos State, capturing about 200 girls as beneficiaries.

The foundation announced a scholarship programme for outstanding girls, distributed gadgets, and matched ten girls with industry mentors. Held under the theme “Mentor Her Way: Investing in Safe Spaces for Girls’ Future,” the celebration aimed to promote empowerment by creating safe spaces, encouraging mentorship, and giving girls opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.

The Nnewi roadshow engagement was held on Friday, October 23, 2026, and the Lagos event followed on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Eridan Space, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Alausa, Ikeja.

Presentations and advocacy sessions

In Nnewi, Ambassador Dr Chioma Seraphine Nwosu delivered a presentation centred on the protection and empowerment of the girl child. The session reinforced the importance of supporting childhood, encouraging education, and creating opportunities that enable girls to develop their potential.

Miss Chioma Nelly Adindu addressed the issue of rights and the importance of ensuring that girls are recognised, protected, and supported. The session reinforced awareness of rights and encouraged participants to understand the importance of safeguarding their wellbeing and supporting their development.

Mrs Ifeoma Okoroafor spoke on excellence and service, and on how a person’s personality and etiquette shape their relationship with work and life. She said people around girls must be taught to care for the girl child, and advocated that girls be respected and built up to always have courage.

Fostering authenticity and community support

Mrs Sandra Adebayo and Mrs Kofoworola Adeyemo spoke on identity being rooted in who a person is, and the importance of sharing the authenticity of one’s journey. Mr Bamidele Oyewumi and Mr Lawal Kehinde also said men should be sponsors for girls by investing in places where girls can thrive and be themselves, connect with one another, share knowledge, and collaborate.

Mr Olaitan Oladimeji said creating safe spaces means creating opportunities where girls can learn, be themselves, and make mistakes without being intimidated or harassed.

At the celebration, TMG Empower announced a scholarship programme for outstanding girls from primary school through to tertiary education. The foundation also gave out six tablets, shared between the Nnewi and Lagos engagements, with other gadgets distributed among more girls. Girls who wanted the tablets pitched themselves to the speakers, who doubled as judges.

Inspiring stories from young beneficiaries

One winner, Miss Awokoya Yetunde Rebecca, said she is passionate about using technology to teach children who struggle in the classroom and with reading. Another winner, Miss Precious Ajirioghene Eherete, who began learning web development in September, told the judges that whether or not she received a tablet, she was willing to volunteer with the foundation to grow and give back.

She said she is inspired by her mother, who taught her to always focus on making life better for the people around her.

The engagement in Lagos had speakers who are also mentors in industries including hospitality, media, technology, human resources, education, digital marketing, and project management. With their permission, the foundation invited girls to pitch why they need a mentor, and ten girls were matched to speakers at the Lagos engagement.

Community-driven mentorship model

The approach reflects TMG Empower’s community-driven mentorship model, which connects girls to industry leaders, professional women in STEM, and global mentors who guide them through personal and career development. Three participants received iPads, ten received mentorship access, while others received consolation prizes from the pitch and quiz sessions.

The Nnewi event brought together students from Mother of Mercy Girls Secondary School, Azigbo; Nigeria Science and Technical College; Sancta Maria Comprehensive Secondary School; and Community Secondary School, Nnewichi, alongside girls and young women from Nnobi, Nnewi, and surrounding communities. Participants visited Authority FM radio station and spoke on air about the challenges girls face in society and in the family.

They also heard from Ambassador Dr Chioma Nwosu and a representative of Choice FM, Miss Adindu, and met entertainers including dancer Fachstar 001 and radio personality Obitetete.

Real measure of impact

Two students received iPads, three received WAEC registration fee support, and seven graduates received skill acquisition training sponsorship. Other participants received prizes and books to encourage a reading culture amongst girls.

A student, Miss Eziefe Kamsiyochukwu, said: “I was able to express myself, and I was able to meet so many influential people in the society.” Out of excitement, she pleaded that the programme be held every month.

Another student, Miss Okolie Chinyere, said she loved speaking in the studio about the challenges girls face, and thanked the foundation on behalf of the girls from Nnobi.

“A girl’s future should never be determined by the opportunities she was denied,” said Founder and Executive Director Ndidi Udeaja. “Yet for many girls, financial hardship, limited access, and a lack of guidance continue to stand between them and the possibilities they dream of.”

Holistic approach to empowerment

She said the foundation’s work goes beyond technology and digital skills to creating access to opportunities, nurturing confidence, and helping girls recognise what they are capable of achieving.

“When we conceived the idea for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child campaign, Mentor Her Way, we wanted to move beyond conversations about girls’ challenges to creating spaces where they could speak for themselves, receive guidance, and access meaningful opportunities,” she said.

“Our approach is holistic. We combine digital skills development with mentorship, personal growth, mindset transformation, and practical support because we believe empowering a girl goes beyond what she learns in a classroom.”

Udeaja said one of the most touching moments was hearing stories of girls whose education was at risk because of financial difficulties, a reminder of why she continues to invest her time, resources, and energy in the foundation.

She added that seeing communities, volunteers, partners, and supporters come together reinforced her belief that meaningful change requires collective effort.

“For me, the real measure of our impact is not simply how many people attended or how many gifts we distributed, but what opportunities become available to these girls afterwards,” she said. “That is the future we are working towards at TMG Empower.”

Project Manager Adepeju Salami said the two-day programme was not about ticking a box to mark the day. It was, she said, an intentional move to make more rooms for girls to truly thrive.

Growing movement for girls in tech

Ahead of the celebration, the foundation reported that more than 200 Nigerian girls and about 100 girls from other African countries had been onboarded into its new AI Business School, a training platform that introduces young women to artificial intelligence, business analytics, and creative tech entrepreneurship.

In two years, TMG Empower said it has positioned itself as one of Africa’s most inspiring movements for gender inclusion in technology. Its first physical event, in April 2024, brought together more than 110 participants in Lagos to celebrate ICT Day, blending hands-on training with inspirational stories.

Udeaja said the foundation’s initiatives are not only about imparting skills but also about building a sense of community among girls who might otherwise never see themselves represented in tech.