Joel Ajayi

The Director of International Programs for PanAfricare Rachel Ochako has revealed that the future of Nigeria youth lies of Technology, coding, robotics and there is need to embrace it as a matter of urgency.

She gave this assertion on Thursday in Abuja at the finale of Future Skills Code Bot where over 400 secondary school children in FCT and its environs were trained in coding and robotics.

She expressed that the future of Nigeria youth lies of Technology, coding, robotics and there is need to embrace it as a matter of urgency.

According to her, our focus is to educate, teach young ones to embrace innovation and leadership; as well as put in place the right environment and right mindset to put young one on the path to success.

“Talking about using technology for the future, In Nigeria there is a huge percentage of youth, and the rate of unemployment is high. So, there is a need to give the youth the skill and giving them the capacity in using STEM to be able to pursue entrepreneurship and even employ more.

“That is why we are engaging these young children and providing training for them on coding and robotics and as you can see, they are showcasing what they have learned in the last one year with over 400 sessions.

“Technology coding robotics ICT is the future for the youth in this country and because China and other countries are not going to have a solution for Nigeria.

“These students have already used what they have learnt to think of solutions within their own communities.

“Now China will not know the problem in Nigeria, they may not know efficient ways to do things faster, the only people who will know that problems exist are Nigerians.

“That is why we are teaching them ICT in their local content. It’s a locally grown solution, the solution to Nigeria’s challenges is not coming from outside, the foreigners will not be able to solve the problems for Nigeria.

“No foreigner can solve environmental challenges of the environment they don’t know; it’s only Nigeria that can do that, this means there is no solution elsewhere, solution is Nigerian children.

“And ICT can be applied to everything, it can be applied to Health, Power, Industry, even business, it cuts across every sector that is why I said ICT is the solution to Nigeria problem.”

Speaking Also, was the Country Director PanAfricare Foundation Dr Patrick Adah, he stated that the event is part of organization activities aimed at raising the interest and building the capacity of students in STEM education using the platform of Coding and Robotics.

“The project was implemented in 14 Schools and conducted over 400 training sessions on Coding and Robotics, benefiting more girls than boys (150 girls and 130 boys). Also 28 teachers were trained in the schools using international Standard to ensure sustainability of the project.

“The project has contributed in helping the beneficiaries to acquire skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and competition.

These skills are essential for future employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. This initiative has not only bridged the gap in digital literacy but also fostered the culture of innovation among the students.

“It is worthy to note that these students have started to apply the training they received to find locally thought-out solutions to problems in their communities. An example will be demonstrated here today

“Also, more than 10 teachers without STEM background garnered knowledge enabling them to train on Coding and Robotics. “

He however, thanked all stakeholders including the Secondary Education Board (SEB), the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Proprietors of Private Schools, and Principals for all your support, without which the project would not have been implemented.

In his remark the Director/Secretary FCT-Secondary Education Board Dr Mohammad Sani Ladan expressed gratitude to the PanAfricare Foundation and other partners for their unwavering support throughout the journey.

“With the way the world and education are evolving, it is very important to equip young people with the skill of technology. Technology is fast evolving and creating more opportunities and business for people. Technology is one of the best ways to make the best out of the youths.

He therefore encouraged the children to dream big and never be afraid to achieve in life. “I offer these final words of encouragement, as you move forward, remember that the skills you acquired today are not just technical tools, but also a mind-set that is ready to take on the challenges of the future. “ he urged.

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