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In a bid to secure Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy, experts are calling for increased institutional commitments to expose the country’s large youth population to technology from an early age. This sentiment was echoed at the recent Teen-Tech Nigeria Mentorship Program organised by Child Cyber Protection (C-C Pro) in Abuja.
RELATED: C-C Pro holds Teen-Tech Nigeria Mentorship Program in Abuja
With Nigeria’s population currently exceeding 220 million, and youths constituting 70% of this demographic, amounting to over 150 million, there’s a growing urgency to equip young people with tech skills to navigate today’s digital challenges, according to data from ‘Worldometer.’
Dr. Chuks Ekwueme, Chairman of Uniccon Group, which launched Africa’s first humanoid robot about two years ago, emphasized the pivotal role of young people in societal growth, stressing the importance of early exposure to technology to foster innovation and creativity. As one of the Teen-Tech Mentors, Ekwueme encouraged youths not to be intimidated by technology but rather inspired by it.
Nigerian robotics and embedded systems engineer, Kemisola Bolarinwa, highlighted the teenage years as a period for self-discovery and urged young people to explore the realms of creativity to drive positive change. Bolarinwa herself invented a smart bra capable of diagnosing early-stage breast cancer.
Further underscoring the importance of nurturing young talent, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Honourable Agbaje Olawale Ibrahim emphasized the need for critical support across sectors to build the capacity of young people in addressing challenges through technology. They emphasized the pivotal role of institutional support, starting from the educational system.
Usman Ahmed Abdul Dimka from Interpol Bureau Headquarters, Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) & Co-Founder Pzafaama Helping Hand Foundation, commended the teenagers’ initiatives but also cautioned them about the dual nature of technology, urging them to discern between its positive and negative applications. He noted the need to be able to sift technology for good from technology for evil or crime.
More than 200 students from private and public schools, including teens from orphanages, participated in the one-day program hosted by Olumawu School.
Delmwa Gogwim, Co-Founder and CEO of C-C Pro, highlighted the organization’s inclusive approach, targeting orphans as well to ensure no one is left behind in the tech revolution.
“With all these people, there is no way that a child will not learn one or two things from them. We have children from public and private schools, we have orphans. We target orphans as well as a special part of our programme. Sometimes orphans don’t have mentorship, but we are going to be breeding some of the biggest innovators from our orphanages as well,” said Gogwim.
The Teen-Tech Nigeria Mentorship Program aligns with Nigeria’s participation in the World Creativity and Innovation Day, advocating for creativity and innovation in problem-solving to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The “Teen-Tech Mentorship Program and newly launched Young Cybersecurity Ambassador Award serve as a prelude to the Nigerian Teen Cyber Festival (ngTeenCyberFest 2024), slated to take place inside Baze University on September 26th, coinciding with the global celebration of the International Day for Access to Universal Information.
