Copyright tribuneonlineng
Kwara State Government has trained a total number of 5,603 public secondary school students out of a target of 7,500 students across 50 schools in the 16 LGAs of the state in Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Programme. In a statement by the Special Assistant, Digital Innovation to the state governor, Ishola Kayode, the 5,603 students comprised of 2,604 males (46.5%) and 2,999 females (53.5%). The governor’s aide, who said that Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Programme remained the flagship initiative within this period, added that the government is committed to participation in state-level discussions on digitising the workforce and improving access to government services and information, “ensuring Kwara keeps pace with national and global trends in digital governance”. “By senatorial distribution, Kwara South recorded 2,186 participants (39%), Kwara Central 2,095 (37.4%), and Kwara North 1,322 (23.6%). Ilorin West LGA emerged as the highest contributor with 829 students, while Ekiti LGA recorded the lowest at 173 students. “The 2025 Summer Edition of the programme, held from August 5 across 28 centres, engaged 798 students during the third-term holiday”. The Office of the Special Assistant on Digital Innovation has continued to consolidate the vision of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in building a digitally skilled youth population and positioning Kwara as a national model for innovation-driven human capital development, the statement said. Kayode also said that his office is now preparing for the Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Exhibition, scheduled to hold on October 29, 2025. “The event will showcase innovative student projects from different schools across the state developed under the program and highlight the success stories that position Kwara as the single largest implementer of a state-wide digital literacy initiative in Nigeria. “These achievements reaffirm the administration’s commitment to human capital development, innovation, and entrepreneurship support for the prosperity of Kwara and Nigeria”. Monthly “Train the Trainers” sessions were also sustained to strengthen teachers and instructors’ capacity. Notably, Kwara students participated in the National Kids Innovation Challenge, with nine teams representing the state. 9 teams submitted entries, 4 made it to the pre demo stages, with Two teams—Igbaja AgricTech Mini and Virtual Bot Doctor—reaching the finals. “On September 20th, the Igbaja AgricTech Mini emerging among the top three winners. Their solution, which is the only Non-hardware solution among the top 3 winners is a digital tool offering farmers curated market information, weather tips, planting insights, and security updates, underscored Kwara’s innovation strength and focus on food security. Beyond the coding program, the office facilitated several high-level collaborations and engagements. These include: Partnership with W.TEC (Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre) to host the 2025 SHE Creates Camp in August, empowering young girls with advanced tech and innovation skills. A strategic partnership meeting with Zinox Technologies Limited. to explore deeper cooperation on digital infrastructure and innovation. Support for the Federal Government’s Project 774, through provision of internet connectivity in seven participating LGAs in Kwara State.
