By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
An Information Communication Technology (ICT) NGO, The Zariah Elizabeth Foundation,(TZE) says it has trained over 1,000 students in the FCT on ICT skills and coding in FCT.
Mr Akindayo Akindolani, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He, however, called on other organisations to invest in more insuch capacity training in public schools to get youths used to ICT skills.
NAN reports that the training was supported by the UNESCO national office under its Africa Code Week that took place in October.
The UNESCO’s Africa Code Week targeted training of young girls in secondary schools in Nigeria and Benin Republic with ICT skillsT with the foundation as one of the mentors.
Akindolani said that the implementation of the project, cut across training of over 30 teachers from some schools in the FCT who would in turn train other teachers and students.
“TZE foundation in this year’s Africa Code Week trained over 30 teachers across 20 schools from the FCT, Niger and Nasarawa states.
“These 30 teachers were trained to reach to about 50 students in those schools, which amounts to over 1,030 students from the schools altogether.
“We selected for the coding classes and this is to deepen our initiative toward support for the girl-child education.
“The students were taught with the Google curriculum that exposed them to creative thinking through an interactive presentation module, we used that strategy to engage the students on practical.”
He, however, decried that in the course of the project implementation,the foundation was only able to reach out to teachers and students from schools that had the facilities to ensure sustainability of the programme.
“We chose schools with facilities because we want a programme that can be sustained and linger after the Africa Code Week and also help the students in their future career path.
“In training students from public schools,we had the option of renting computers for achieving our own aim and leave,but it will not be sustained.
“We hope government will increase infrastructure in public schools, to prepare our students for 21st century learning,”he said.
He identified Titshall Global Schools, Wuse 2, Glisten International Academy and Kingsville School, Jahi as some of the schools selected for the implementation of the Africa Code Week project. (NAN)