In Africa’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem, Toyin Abioye is working to answer a question that goes beyond who gets to participate in technology: what would happen if more young Africans had the skills, mentorship, networks and opportunities to build with it?
For Abioye, the answer lies in creating those pathways.
A product leader, global tech mentor and social impact entrepreneur, Abioye has built her career at the intersection of technology, innovation and opportunity. Her experience spans fintech, SaaS and EdTech, but increasingly, her work is focused on a broader mission — helping African youth and women gain the tools and confidence to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
That mission is at the heart of NezaTech Africa, the organisation she founded to empower women and unlock opportunities within the technology industry.
NezaTech goes beyond hosting conversations about women in technology. Its work includes technology training, mentorship, professional development and access to hiring opportunities, with the aim of helping members move from learning to meaningful career opportunities.
For Abioye, the emphasis is on creating practical pathways.
In a 2025 interview with WIA Philanthropy, she said her motivation was rooted in the belief that young Africans should have access to the skills, mentorship and opportunities required to innovate, compete and lead in the global digital economy. Through NezaTech, she has reached more than 10,000 young people and women, with participants progressing into jobs, internships and businesses.
One of the most visible expressions of that vision is Tech Women Fest, the flagship gathering organised by NezaTech Africa.
Launched in 2024, the festival was created to give women in technology a space to learn, connect, collaborate and access opportunities. At its inaugural edition, Abioye described the goal as building a network of women in tech that could transcend borders and unlock opportunities.
The platform has continued to grow. Its third edition, Tech Women Fest 3.0, is set to bring together women founders, innovators, technology professionals, investors and ecosystem builders in Lagos in October 2026.
But perhaps more significant than the event itself is what it represents: an attempt to build an ecosystem where women are not simply encouraged to enter technology but are equipped to build, lead and shape it.
That philosophy is also reflected in initiatives such as the Tech Women Fest Laptop Initiative, which is providing laptops to young women in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo who are pursuing careers in technology but lack access to a personal device.
It is a practical intervention, but it reflects a much bigger idea behind Abioye’s work: talent exists across Africa, but talent needs access.
Abioye’s background in product leadership is an important part of this story.
Her professional profile describes her focus as building scalable, customer-centred and globally impactful products. She has also worked as a mentor within the startup ecosystem, bringing product and technology experience into her work with emerging entrepreneurs and professionals.
That combination of building products and building people is central to her approach.
Technology, in her work, is not simply about creating the next digital product. It is also about creating the conditions for people to develop the skills, networks and opportunities required to create those products themselves.
This perspective earned her recognition as one of the WIA Young Leaders 2025, a cohort of 10 African women selected from more than 6,000 applications for their leadership and contribution to the continent. WIA Philanthropy described Abioye’s work as equipping Africa’s youth with skills, mentorship and career pathways to thrive in the digital economy.
What makes Abioye’s journey particularly noteworthy is that her work sits between several worlds: technology and social impact, products and people, business and community.
She is building products, but she is also building platforms.
She is convening women, but she is also creating pathways beyond the room.
She is advocating for women in technology, but she is also investing in the practical resources that can help more women actually participate.
And that may be the more important contribution.
Africa’s digital future will not be shaped only by the technologies the continent adopts. It will also be shaped by who gets the opportunity to build them.
Through NezaTech Africa, Tech Women Fest, mentorship and initiatives that address practical barriers to participation, Toyin Abioye is working to make that future more inclusive.
Her work is ultimately about creating room, for more women to enter technology, for more young Africans to discover their potential, and for more African builders to see themselves not merely as consumers of technology, but as people capable of creating what comes next.
And perhaps that is the most compelling part of her story: she is not waiting for the future of African technology to happen. She is helping build the people and platforms that will shape it.
