Nigeria’s digital economy is growing at a striking pace; fintech alone recorded 70% growth in a single year, but women remain largely on the sidelines, making up just 17% of the country’s tech workforce. One corporate initiative is quietly working to change that.
PalmPay’s Purple Woman program, now in its third year, goes well beyond the company’s core mobile payments business to address a structural gap in the industry’s talent pipeline. Rather than focusing solely on coding skills, the program takes a broader view of what the technology sector needs.
“I’d seen the tweets, heard the buzz, but to me, tech just meant hacking and coding,” said one recent participant. “I never imagined it was a space I could truly belong in.”
The program offers training across three streams: technical tracks covering software engineering, data analysis, and UI/UX design; operational roles spanning product management, digital marketing, and human resources; and personal development modules on financial management and workplace policy.
For the participant quoted above, the program led to an internship in PalmPay’s Human Resources department, where she has been involved in recruitment, onboarding, and payroll operations. “Interning in HR was more than I ever imagined,” she said. “I am learning aspiration, resilience, and responsibility.”
Since its launch, the initiative has reached approximately 250 young women and facilitated 20 internships, placing participants inside one of Africa’s fastest-growing fintech companies, a distinction recognised by the Financial Times and Statista’s Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies 2025 ranking.
One feature participants highlight is the company’s internal culture. PalmPay operates what it calls a “no door” policy, giving interns direct access to the Managing Director to pitch ideas — a sharp departure from the rigid hierarchies common in many African corporate environments.
“It completely shifted the vibe, less hierarchy, more collaboration,” the intern said. “It makes the workplace feel open, empowering, and far from toxic.”
As Nigeria cements its status as a leading emerging technology hub, programs like Purple Woman are drawing attention as potential blueprints for inclusive industry growth, ones that ensure the people building Africa’s digital future reflect the diversity of those they serve.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
