In honor of International Women’s Day, we celebrate women in our community who are pushing boundaries in their fields. One such woman is Faridat Ibidun, who has successfully forged a career in the tech industry, an area that has historically been dominated by men.
Faridat’s tech journey began with the purchase of her first laptop in January 2022, followed by a three-month bootcamp in Html and CSS at Africa Agility. She pursued further learning by enrolling in the Women in Tech program to explore UI/UX (product design). After completing the bootcamp, Faridat received a scholarship to the I4GxZURI Cohort 2 training to enhance her Frontend development skills.
Not content with just coding and designing, Faridat pursued a product management internship with Africa Agility in September 2022, while also participating in a product management training program. She subsequently decided to study computer science at Kibo School of Technology, all while working as a product manager intern, a brave decision considering she had only just graduated from nursing school the previous year.
Faridat’s standout achievement was serving as the Product Manager for TrainHer, a product with a mission to empower 50,000 African girls by 2023 by providing training and mentorship in tech-related fields. Faridat and her team led the successful completion of Girls in Tech Cohort 5 and added several training programs, including Quality Assurance testing, certified scrum developer, mobile app and Web 3 training, to the product.
Faridat’s impact extends beyond TrainHer. Tony Elumelu recognized her as one of the Top 25 Young African Women Making Impacts in their Community on International Women’s Day 2022. She subsequently qualified for the Tony Elumelu Mentorship program. Faridat is passionate about using technology to amplify changes in Africa and sees herself as a stakeholder in the health tech industry. She and her team at Kibo are designing Safespace, a mental health product that aims to address pressing healthcare issues in Africa.
Faridat’s journey in tech demonstrates resilience, growth, and excellence. In less than a year, she has gone from being a registered nurse to a product manager, proving that women can achieve anything. As we commemorate International Women’s Day, let us support and empower the women around us and continue breaking barriers.