By Chioma Obinagwam
Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, one of the most prominent African women in tech and an instrumental leader in Google’s regional growth, has announced her departure from the company.
Confiance News gathered from Bolanle Omisore of BOA Africa at the weekend.
A respected figure in the tech industry and key player in Google’s African initiatives, Ehimuan announced her departure via LinkedIn, stating her intent to take on a broader role within the regional tech landscape. She unveiled plans to collaborate with corporate executives, global investors, African governments and startup founders to drive growth, excellence and digital transformation within the African tech ecosystem and the broader business landscape.
Ehimuan’s departure marks a significant transition for Google in Africa. During her tenure – first as Country Director for Nigeria and then Director for West Africa – Ehimuan led her team in driving transformative digital initiatives. From the successful Get Nigeria Businesses Online project, to strategic partnerships and deployment & localisation of key products like Google Maps, Streetview, and YouTube.ng; her leadership has enabled a profound and far-reaching impact on the region’s tech ecosystem.
One of the pivotal moments under her stewardship was the inaugural Google for Africa event in Lagos in 2012, where Google CEO, Sundar Pichai announced the landmark commitment to train 10 million Africans in digital skills, 100,000 developers in-depth web and mobile development skills, and a Google for Startups accelerator for Africa to support African tech entrepreneurs. These initiatives underline Ehimuan’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of technology leaders in Africa.
Over the last 12 years, the continent has become increasingly important to Google’s global strategy and a destination for significant investment. Indeed, Google has committed increasing sums to growing Africa’s tech ecosystem – including $50 million for growth-stage start ups through the Africa investment Fund in early 2020 and $1 billion toward Africa’s digital transformation in 2021.
Ehimuan’s tenure also saw the execution of high-priority access projects such as the expansion of the Google Station program in Nigeria and the landing of Google’s Equiano fibre cable in Lagos. These initiatives have played a significant role in making the internet more accessible and affordable for millions of people in Nigeria and beyond.
Ehimuan joined Google with a strong background in strategy and technology and her contributions to ICT policy and strategy have been critical. She has been a key player in the development of policies that have fostered investment and infrastructure growth in the Nigerian tech ecosystem. Her leadership in high-profile committees like the National Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Presidential Committee that created the national broadband plan in 2019 has been instrumental in shaping the ICT strategy of the region.
As Ehimuan turns the page to the next chapter of her career, she is set to leverage her wealth of experience and network to drive digital transformation across the continent in a broader role. Ehimuan’s passion for leadership development and personal excellence coaching will continue to have a global impact through her 30 Days of Excellence program. Based on her book ’30 Days of Excellence’ published in 2020, this program, which rolled out within Google over the last 18 months, is set to continue its global expansion.
