In a significant boost to Nigeria’s digital economy, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Pankyu, has stated that the Korean Government will continue to support Nigeria’s efforts to empower young girls with technology.
The Ambassador, speaking at the finals of the National Girls in ICT competition in Abuja, Nigeria, highlighted Korea’s commitment.
The competition, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, aims to encourage female participation in the ICT sector and empower girls to become leaders in this dynamic field.
The initiative seeks to transform Nigeria’s ICT landscape by providing a platform for secondary school girls to showcase their skills, creativity, and innovation in ICT-related fields.
Represented by the Country Director of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Nigeria, Son Sunggil, the Ambassador noted, “KOICA’s engagement with this programme demonstrates the Korean Government’s commitment to empowering young girls with technology and innovation in Nigeria.” He added, “Our partnership also exemplifies KOICA’s longstanding digital transformation journey with the Ministry and the people of Nigeria. KOICA and the Korean Government remain committed to supporting the Ministry in achieving the Nigerian Government’s renewed hope agenda.”
In congratulating the competition participants, he encouraged them to apply the skills and knowledge gained: “It is my pleasure to contribute to today’s success by bringing our resources here. With your confidence, knowledge, and dedication, I believe this journey will be life-changing for all of you, regardless of the competition outcome.”
Speaking on KOICA’s support for Smart Schools in Nigeria, he said, “We have students and teachers from KOICA-supported Smart Schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Cross River, Ekiti, Kano, and Bauchi. We recently provided quality ICT facilities to these schools, where students and teachers can access teaching and learning resources. We encourage them to leverage this competition as a valuable opportunity.”
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Mrs Maryam Gwadabe, Special Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and Project Lead for the National Girls in ICT competition, expressed her aim to bridge the digital gender divide by encouraging more girls to pursue ICT careers and build digital solutions for community challenges. She thanked the partners for their technical support and assistance in bringing participants from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones: “Our goal is to bridge the digital gender gap, bring more girls into ICT careers, and develop solutions to community challenges.”
PLAN International’s Country Director, Mr Usie Emmamuzou, represented by Victoria Chenge, spoke on the significance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in modern innovation. He noted that investing in STEM education and empowering girls is vital to creating a more equitable future, yet significant challenges remain for girls worldwide.
“Statistics reveal a concerning trend: few girls and young women pursue ICT courses in secondary and tertiary institutions, resulting in an alarmingly low number of females in these fields,” he said, urging for greater investment in STEM education to address this disparity.
He commended the Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, for his dedication to supporting girls’ education and empowerment, and announced PLAN International’s donation of three laptops and nine Raspberry Pi devices to competition winners, underscoring their commitment to a more inclusive future.
The competition featured six secondary schools representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with Kano State’s team emerging as the overall winner. Fatima Nazir, a student of Sweet Haven High School in Kano, expressed her excitement on behalf of the winners and urged other young girls to be confident and resilient: ”I feel very excited, amazed, happy, and delighted. I plan to expand our app into something bigger and to pursue a career in tech.
“They should not give up; they should be confident in whatever they do and show perseverance and resilience. This way, we can have more opportunities to compete in events like this and accomplish great things.”
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