How Asisat Oshoala and the GSMA is Making Technology more accessible to everyone

I like to believe 2024 was a seminal year for growing my lifelong sports fanaticism. To wit, last year saw the widening of its aperture so as to focus strongly on women’s sports. In March, I travelled to Las Vegas for my first in-person women’s event in the NCAA basketball tournament; I got to see Cameron Brink play for Stanford not long before the Los Angeles Sparks picked her second overall in the WNBA draft. Then in May, I went to see what was the NWSL’s newest franchise in the expansion Bay FC club play a home game at San Jose’s PayPal Park. And just last month, I excitedly bought a JuJu Watkins t-shirt because I’ve become such a huge fan of Watkins’ play for USC.

Given this, you’d understand my excitement over recently interviewing Asisat Oshoala.

I sat down virtually with the Nigeria-born Oshoala, who plays for the aforementioned Bay FC, earlier this month to discuss her career and her ambitions off the pitch. The latter is anchored by the eponymous Asisat Oshoala Foundation, of which Oshoala described as establishing “a couple years ago” as a way to “create [soccer] playing opportunities for young girls in Nigeria.” Her organization, Oshoala told me, gives young girls “[an] opportunity [and] give them a platform to showcase their talent.” To that end, Oshoala invites high-profile players such as those who play for the Nigerian national team to play against in matches; these opportunities give the girls in Nigeria “hope for the future and have the confidence and know that they can also reach greater heights.”

Another philanthropic effort from Oshoala involves her association with GSMA. The nonprofit organization describes its mission on its website as “unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change,” adding its goal is to “unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive.” One of the areas in which the GSMA wishes to make the world a better place—and which is endearing to Oshoala—is closing what’s called the Usage Gap. According to the GSMA, the Usage Gap “prevents individuals from being able to access critical digital services such as healthcare, education, ecommerce, financial services, and income-generating opportunities.” For her part, the GSMA tapped Oshoala as the organization’s spokesperson for the Breaking Barriers campaign aimed at bridging the Usage Gap.

As the GSMA soberingly notes on its website, 3.1 billion people, or 39% of the world’s population, reside in areas serviced by mobile broadband—but do not use mobile internet service. Likewise, almost 90% of unconnected people do have access to mobile broadband, yet face other barriers which the GSMA says “[prevents] them from using digital services.” This, the organization notes, represents the Usage Gap.

Oshoala explained the girls she serves through her foundation not only receive soccer (or, football) training. To technology and the GSMA’s mission, she told me the girls also receive computer training and other work-related skills because, as Oshoala said, “we like to teach them other things as well.” Conversations between Oshoala’s team and the GSMA centered on how technology can better the lives of girls in Africa, with Oshoala telling me the tech space is “a great one” for the girls and her team felt strongly the collaboration with GSMA made perfect sense in terms of shared values.

“[The work with GSMA] is going to be helpful in society, especially in Africa,” Oshoala said. “A lot of people don’t have access to the internet… this is going to be a great step.”

When asked about access to technology in Africa, Oshoala told me it’s gotten way better than it used to be but there’s still a ways to go. A lot of people on the continent do have access to the internet, but many do not—and those are the people Oshoala and GSMA are trying to reach. There are other limiting factors, including infrastructure and product costs. Financially, Oshoala said, cell phones in Africa are still pretty expensive; it’s also true internet access in itself is too pricey for many. A byproduct of this lack of access in Africa is it engenders a commensurate lack of interest amongst many folks.

“We have millions of people who have access to the internet, but we still have millions who do not have access to technology,” Oshoala said.

At a high level, what Oshoala and GSMA are endeavoring to do is all about accessibility. Oshoala and everyone is addressing accessibility in the literal sense, working to get technology accessible to people in Africa. Of course, I’d be remiss not to point out the obvious by saying accessibility matters in the disability sense as well. To wit, surely there are disabled people in Africa who want to use technology and the internet. It’s worth it even for social media alone, as it’s highly plausible social media is a primary way they socialize with others. Likewise, technology may be necessary in order to connect with one’s medical team. The salient point is simple: technology is truly like electricity insofar as it’s an essential good for sustenance beyond even nerdier facets such as learning to code, for example. This is deeply resonant with Oshoala, as technology has helped her become the renowned professional athlete she is today.

Cliche as it sounds, Oshoala truly is giving back to the people. She ultimately wants to empower young girls to pursue their dreams and provide better lives for their families.

“I know there are lots of people who could have been in a better position as well if they had access to the internet,” she said. “It’s about connection. When there is lack of connection, that [limits] opportunities. I just look at my journey, and I feel like there could have been a million and one Africans on the Internet in the world if the connection was easier [and] accessible to everybody and everyone has access to the internet. It makes me feel great that I have this opportunity to work with a company like GSMA to help me achieve my dream of helping more people in society get internet access.”

Oshoala said her family in Africa is “happy to support” her in all her pursuits.

Looking towards the future, Oshoala expressed optimism. She told me she wants to continue her work and believes 2025 will be an exciting year. The collaboration with GSMA will enable her to push even harder on helping people in Africa, as she wants to equip people with the tools they need to go into the future ready for success. Technology is integral to achieving such success, and Oshoala plans to do things like establish free Wi-Fi networks in Africa and give away free cell phones for people to use.

“We’re going to do a lot and make [people] see the world differently,” Oshoala said.