Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Genius Hub Global Initiative, Isimeme Whyte, has been recognised by the UN Women for her work in promoting the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) and women-led businesses in Nigeria through the use of gender-responsive technology and innovation.
The award was part of the UN Women 2023 International Women’s Day event, ‘Youth in Tech & Innovation for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment’.
Whyte said she felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and gratitude upon receiving the invitation to participate in the event, noting that her contribution at Genius Hub Global Initiative has been centered around providing technology-driven solutions to MSMEs and women-led businesses through training and consultancy, market systems development, case/crisis management, project management, monitoring, and evaluation.
She added: “Genius Hub has also trained over 11,000 beneficiaries, including youths, women, and returned irregular migrants and survivors of human trafficking in Edo State, in various technical and vocational skills, and especially digital skills including digital marketing, graphics design, product photography, and e-commerce, UI/UX design, movie making skills – video editing, scripting, lighting, sound editing, and production, etc,”.
Whyte noted that in 2022, through partnerships with various organisations, Genius Hub was able to equip over 1,500 MSME owners in Edo State with practical knowledge on product packaging and basic photography skills to drive sales and leverage e-commerce platforms.
“Genius Hub’s Film-Making School was launched last year with over 20 short movies under its belt. We won the Governor’s award for the best short movie shot in Edo State at the state International Film Festival,” she noted.
On future plans, Whyte said Genius Hub is looking to collaborate with other local and international organisations wishing to work in youth and women development, focusing on expanding its reach by having offices in Edo, Kano and Lagos states. Her bi-weekly webinar also focuses on reaching more audiences online and helping to promote MSMEs development.
Whyte noted that these efforts have helped to reduce youth unemployment and promote gender equality by helping women-led businesses develop the skills and tools needed to compete in the global market.
She thanked the UN Women for the recognition, saying it is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of her team at Genius Hub and the impact they have made in the lives of those they serve.
CEO gets UN Women recognition
