NCA Deputy DG Urges Women to Take Charge in Tech Space
Deputy Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ms. Etta Mosore, has issued a passionate call for greater collaboration and inclusion in Ghana’s technology sector, urging women to seize opportunities and push back against the notion that regulation hinders innovation.
Speaking at the just-ended FEMITECH conference, Ms. Mosore shared her personal journey into the tech world to illustrate a stark contrast in how opportunities are shared. She recounted how she was mentored into the field by men who actively encouraged and guided her.
“How I got into the tech space was from men. They were like, ‘Oh, you’re a lawyer now… I think you should move on to tech. And you see they will grab your hands and hold you, and then you get in there,” she said.
However, she noted that this culture of proactive mentorship is often missing among women.
“But women will get, ‘Oh, you realize, like, why didn’t you mention? Oh, I didn’t know you were interested,” Ms. Mosore stated.
Drawing a vivid analogy, she described the potential for growth as an “open sky” with room for everyone.
Ms. Mosore highlighted the success of Ghanaian fintech companies as a testament to the power of collaboration, but questioned the absence of women in those founding stories.
“If you look at some of the FinTech companies that have come up in Ghana, for instance, they were friends, boys, guys who came together and they decided to set it up. Where are the women?” she quizzed.
A key part of her message was aimed at reassuring innovators about the role of the regulator. She firmly dismissed the idea that compliance is the enemy of creativity.
She revealed that the NCA is taking a proactive approach by engaging with tech companies in their own environment.
“One thing about regulation is looking ahead. It’s not just regulating today, it’s regulating tomorrow. And so when we have a lot of women coming on board, we can look ahead and regulate such that it will come to a point where regulation is waiting for technology to get there,” she said.
This year’s FEMITECH Conference, marking its fourth edition, was simultaneously held in Bolgatanga, Upper West Region; Nkwanta South, Oti Region, and Sunyani, Bono Region.
The event brought together several distinguished speakers, including: Ing. Dr. Lucy Agyepong, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Academic City University College; Mrs. Etta Mosore, Deputy Director General, Managerial Operations – National Communications Authority (NCA); Jada Badu, CEO, Uber Ghana; and Winifred Kotin, Eagle Innovations, among others.