A non governmental organisation, the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), has trained 16 girls aged 11 to 17 in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Kwara State as part of efforts to bridge the digital gender gap.
The girls participated in the one week W.TEC She Creates Camp 2026, which ended in Ilorin on Saturday.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Programme Officer and State Coordinator of W.TEC, Mrs Kawthar Ibiyeye, said the initiative was designed to encourage the girls to pursue careers in STEM. Ibiyeye said the programme also aimed to build the participants’ intelligence, confidence and technology skills, while encouraging them to develop leadership qualities and explore opportunities in the creative space.
“The reason why we are focusing our efforts on girls is the fact that when it comes to the future of technology, we noticed that the girls tend to shy away a bit compared to the boys, especially the generation we are training,” she said. “So, our effort is to bridge that gap because it’s a global thing. We have more men in the field of technology, building things and doing so much. Now, W.TEC is trying to bridge that tech gap and see that through learning in camps like this, we can get our girls more interested in taking up careers in the field of STEM.”
She urged the participants to build on the knowledge acquired during the camp and apply the lessons to their personal development.
The Executive Director of W.TEC, Mrs Oreoluwa Lesi, said the programme was designed to teach secondary school girls how to harness technology to achieve their goals. According to her, “the journey starts now,” urging the participants to take advantage of the skills acquired during the programme.
Also speaking, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said the initiative complemented the state government’s vision of building a knowledge driven economy through innovation and human capital development. Olohungbebe, represented by the ministry’s Director of Human Capital Development, Mrs Victoria Ajide, said technology was rapidly transforming different sectors of the economy.
“Kwara is determined to ensure that our children, especially our girls, are not merely consumers of technology, but creators of technology, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who will shape the future,” he said.
The guest speaker, Mrs Hassanat Bello, urged the participants to use technology responsibly, noting that the value of technology depended largely on how it was deployed. She advised them to use digital platforms to learn, create, collaborate and contribute positively to society while developing leadership skills and resilience. “Try not to allow your background or gender to determine your future,” she added.
One of the participants, Fatimah Alege, who won the Best Camper and Most Curious awards, said the camp exposed her to knowledge she never imagined she could acquire. Another participant, Fareeha Ibrahim, said the programme had helped her decide on a career path, adding that the camp made her realise that young people should not remain mere consumers of technology but could also become creators of technological solutions.
A parent, Mrs Shukura Muhammed, said the impact of the previous edition of the programme on her daughter encouraged her to enrol her younger daughter for this year’s camp. She said her elder daughter, who participated in the 2025 camping programme, was currently representing Nigeria in an artificial intelligence and coding programme on the global stage. “So, I am more than convinced to bring her younger sister this year because I can see the impact,” she said.
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