With skills such as video production, 3D design, and mobile app development, 27 teenage girls are ready to carve a niche in the world of business using technology.
They impressed their parents with their new skills at a ceremony to close the 2015 Girls Technology Camp organised by Women in Technology (W.TEC).
The programme also featured an exhibition of projects executed by the girls during the camp.
Camped at the Laureates College in Mafoluku, Oshodi for two weeks, the girls, aged 11-17, also learnt about photography, self-defence, financial literacy and careers, and went on field visits to General Electric and MainOne Data Centre.
The girls presented summaries of their skills, entertaining their parents and other guests present as they did.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of certificates to the girls and prizes to those who excelled in individual and group projects, as well as character-wise.
Temitope Bolanle was crowned Ms W.TEC for being an all-rounder in academics, character, and camp life. She also won awards for the holiday resort she designed using 3-Dimension design technology.
Parents were left in no doubt of the value of the training the girls received from the camp.
Ms Kate Duru, whose niece, Stephney, won an award for creating the best mobile App, using MIT App Inventor, said the programme gave parents value for money as the teenagers gained skills they could use to earn a living.
“I am glad to be here to watch my niece win this award. I learnt about this programme about two years ago when my colleague’s daughter attended the camp. She is now our web designer today. There is nothing like waste of money here. I know my niece will also come and join us,” she said.
Mrs Monisola Balogun, an interior designer, said she was impressed about what she saw on the exhibition stand. She particularly praised Temitope’s work.
“I saw the exhibition stand. I am a professional interior designer. I was so overwhelmed. What she (Temitope) has done is great. She designed a resort. She is just in secondary school. Please keep up the good work,” she said.
Mr Omotoso Bolanle, Temitope’s father, encouraged parents to expose their wards to various skills training to enable them find their feet early. He said early exposure to technology has helped Temitope to decide her course of study in the university which is Computer Science.
Representatives of some of the corporate supporters of the programme also lauded the initiative.
Mrs Adebisi Olukayode, Cloud and Data Centre Specialist, MainOne, which provided free internet service for the duration of the camp, said of its benefit to the girls: “They may not really realise the import of what is happening now. This can be a defining moment for some of them based on what they have done. It is a foundation. But they can actually build on it.”
Babatunde Akinola, Corporate Affairs Manager, Intel Corporation for West Africa, added: “We accept it because it is giving opportunity to the girls to learn new skills in technology. I feel it is going to be transformational because they are learning skills they can grow with.”
Programme Manager for W.TEC, Ms Modupe Darabido, said beyond technology, a good take away from the camp was how to make money from each skill they learnt.
“For all the ICT programmes they learnt, we tied it to them making money out of it – even starting small. We are helping them to open their minds to possibilities around them using ICT,” she said.
A participant and recipient of the Mobile App Development Award for creating a game using Game Salad software, Tolulope Taiwo, said she would further develop her game beyond Level 4 after the camp.
“I loved the camp. I learnt a lot. I hope to develop my game further, said the 13-year old pupil of White Dove Schools, Lekki.”
