After 12 years of service, Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, one of the most influential African women working in technology and Google’s first West African Director, has decided to leave the firm.
Ehimuan has been an essential leader in the expansion of Google’s presence in the region and a solid foundation in the company.
Ehimuan is a well-respected figure in the technology business and a prominent player in Google’s operations in Africa. She announced her resignation from Google via LinkedIn, indicating that she intends to take on a more expansive position within the technological landscape of the region. She revealed her intentions to work together with corporate executives, global investors, African governments, and start-up founders in order to propel growth, excellence, and digital transformation within the African tech ecosystem and the larger business landscape.
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The impact of Ehimuan’s departure
As a result of Ehimuan’s departure, Google is undergoing a huge transformation in Africa. Ehimuan served as a leader for her team during her employment, first as Country Director for Nigeria and subsequently as Director for West Africa. In all of these roles, she oversaw the implementation of innovative digital initiatives.
Her leadership has enabled a significant and far-reaching impact on the region’s tech ecosystem, as seen by the very successful Get Nigeria Businesses Online initiative, as well as strategic alliances and the deployment and localization of important products such as Google Maps, Streetview, and YouTube.ng. This is all because to the fact that she is the founder of Get Nigeria Businesses Online.
Under her leadership, one of the defining moments was the first Google for Africa event, which took place in Lagos in 2012. At this event, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made a landmark commitment to train 10 million Africans in digital skills, 100,000 developers in in-depth web and mobile development skills and to establish a Google for Startups accelerator for Africa to support African tech entrepreneurs. These activities demonstrate Ehimuan’s commitment to fostering the next generation of technology leaders in Africa, which is highlighted by the company’s mission statement.
In the past twelve years, the continent has developed into a location for major investment from Google as it has become an increasingly essential part of the company’s overall worldwide strategy. In point of fact, Google has pledged ever-increasing sums to the expansion of Africa’s tech ecosystem. These commitments include $50 million for growth-stage start ups to be provided by the Africa Investment Fund in early 2020 and $1 billion to be contributed to Africa’s digital transformation in 2021.
Reviewing Ehimuan’s past influence
During Ehimuan’s tenure, a number of high-priority access projects were carried out and completed. These projects included the extension of the Google Station programme in Nigeria as well as the landing of Google’s Equiano fibre cable in Lagos. Millions of individuals in Nigeria and abroad have benefited immensely from the fact that the internet is now easier to use and more affordable due to the steps that have been taken.
Ehimuan joined Google with an extensive background in both strategy and technology, and her contributions to both the company’s ICT policy and strategy have been quite important. Within the context of the Nigerian technology ecosystem, she has played a pivotal role in the formulation of laws that have encouraged the expansion of investment and infrastructure.
Her leadership in high-profile groups such as the National Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Presidential Committee that produced the national broadband plan in 2019 has been essential in the formation of the region’s information and communication technology (ICT) strategy.