AI, coding training moves into rural Nigeria as initiative targets underserved children

Children in rural communities are being introduced to coding, animation, graphic design, desktop publishing and other digital skills as technology organisations and community stakeholders seek to close Nigeria’s growing urban-rural technology gap. The initiative, launched at the Rural Green AI and Creativity Education Foundation in Jakande Estate, Isolo, is designed to take technology education to children who may have limited access to the innovation hubs and digital learning opportunities concentrated in major Nigerian cities. Adetunwase Adenle, co-founder of Flip to Tech, said the programme was driven by the belief that children should not be disadvantaged by the communities into which they are born. “I started my life as an artist, and growing up, I saw one major thing: a child does not choose where they are born,” Adenle said. According to him, technology provides an opportunity for children to develop their creativity, create solutions, and participate in the changing global economy, regardless of where they live. “These children should have access to good education, technology and reading. This is why we decided to take this training to remote locations across Nigeria, like villages and rural areas,” he said. The programme plans to use the Jakande Estate hub as a pilot before expanding to six geopolitical zones across Nigeria. Adenle said the initiative would initially extend to locations including Lagos, Kwara and other communities as the programme expands. The organisers said the focus on junior secondary school-age children is deliberate, as the age group can begin to develop a foundational understanding of technology and incorporate digital skills into their education. Adenle, however, stressed that the programme is not limited to children attending formal schools. “Our major focus is not just schools. Children out of school, children in remote locations, children in villages and children in rural areas should also benefit from what other children have access to in cities,” he said. He added that the organisation trained about 10,000 children in the previous year and is now seeking to extend the programme further into rural communities. Closing the rural technology access gap Olayemi Abifarin, CEO of Telcroft Technologies, said the partnership seeks to close the access gap that prevents children in underserved communities from using technology for learning, including remote education. “Most of the innovation hubs you see today are in the big cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Portharcourt. What we want to do is to take these hubs to the underserved communities, including remote villages and areas with large numbers of out-of-school children,” Abifarin said. He said the proposed model would combine wificonnectivity infrastructure with remote smart learningtools, enabling tutors and technology professionals worldwide to teach children in rural communities remotely. Under the model, the hubs will be equipped with interactive boards, internet connectivity, tablets and solar power systems to overcome some of the infrastructure challenges associated with technology education in underserved locations. “We are solving one problem. The problem not simply “providing internet.” It is solving the last-mile digital infrastructure problem: turning available broadband capacity into reliable, affordable, managed connectivity where people actually live, learn, work and operate,” Abifarin said. He explained that solar energy would provide power for the facilities, while internet connectivity would serve as the backbone for remote teaching. The organisation currently relies on volunteers to deliver some of the training remotely and plans to develop a platform where additional volunteers can register to teach out-of-school children remotely through the hub. Abifarin said the initiative is seeking funding to expand the program and eventually engage paid instructors from around the world. “This is our first hub. The second, planned for Kwara State, is expected to become operational before the end of the year,” he said. The long-term ambition, he added, is to establish at least one hub in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones before expanding further. Local government backs technology and creativity training Babatunde Abdulazeez, supervisor for Wealth and Job Creation in Isolo, described the initiative as an important intervention for children in the community, particularly as the skills required in the workplace continue to change. He said technology education should no longer be viewed as an optional addition to conventional schooling. “The world is moving into innovation and technology,” Abdulaziz said, adding that education now extends beyond what students learn within the four walls of a classroom. He also linked the program to environmental sustainability, pointing to opportunities for young people to learn how discarded materials such as PET bottles and tyres can be converted into useful products. According to him, exposing children to both digital skills and practical creativity could help them develop solutions to problems within their communities. He urged parents to broaden their expectations for their children’s careers beyond traditional professions such as medicine and law. “The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of digital skills, especially as remote work and digital businesses became important.” AI changes skills needed for future jobs As artificial intelligence continues to reshape workplaces, the organisers and community stakeholders said young people should be taught how to use emerging technologies rather than fear them. Abdulazeez acknowledged concerns that AI could displace some jobs but said young people should focus on developing the creativity and technical skills needed to work alongside emerging technologies. He argued that today’s AI tools may eventually be replaced by newer technologies, making the broader ability to innovate more important than mastering one particular technology. Adenle said the objective was not simply to teach children individual digital tools but to give them a foundation from which they can continue discovering and building new technologies. For the organisers, the rural technology hubs are intended to serve as more than training centres. They are designed to give children who may otherwise be excluded from Nigeria’s technology ecosystem an early opportunity to discover digital skills, creativity and entrepreneurship. The initiative’s expansion across the six geopolitical zones could determine whether that opportunity remains a small pilot or develops into a broader rural technology education network. Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date Open In Whatsapp