One hundred and twenty secondary school girls have ended a one week science training programme on coding, gaming and robotics designed to encourage their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The girls, who are between the ages of 12 and 18 were selected from secondary schools within Calabar Municipality and Calabar South local government area of Cross River State in southern Nigeria.
According to Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu, the training programme tagged, the “Reverend Eyoanwan Otu Girls in STEM Project” would be expanded to other parts of Cross River in fulfilment of her desire to empower young girls to break barriers for the future.
The wife of the governor said, “this initiative embodies my commitment to empowering the brilliant and capable young girls of our state to break barriers, shatter ceilings, and forge a path towards a brighter future.
“In today’s world, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, collectively known as STEM, have become the driving forces of progress. These fields hold the keys to innovation, development, and prosperity. It is our responsibility to ensure that our young people are not left behind rather equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to excel in STEM,” she stressed.
Creating equal opportunities
While urging parents and guardians to encourage their daughters interest in science and technology careers, she reiterated the resolve of the present administration to create opportunities to young girls to thrive alongside their counterparts in India, China and western countries.
She continued, “as part of our ‘People First’ agenda, my husband and I aim to create an inclusive ecosystem where girls can dream big and pursue their passions in STEM without hesitation. By investing in their education, we are investing in the future of our state, a future defined by innovation, progress, and equal opportunities for all.”
Otu expressed appreciation to partners, educators and mentors for collaborating with her project to empower young girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In a remark, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Justin Beshel, commended the wife of the governor and other partners for the initiative, which he noted was in tandem with Governor Bassey Otu’s plans to make Cross River State a technology hub.
Dr. Beshel noted that “the world is interested in technology export and this government is committed to empower young women with the necessary tools to start a living. To the participants, I will encourage you to take the skills you have learned seriously, develop yourselves so you can join in the export of technology.
“We hope that you would develop yourselves and make a difference in the sector by emulating accomplished female scientists from Nigeria, Africa and the world. Study their contributions to society and strive to accomplish more,” he urged.
In a goodwill message, the commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Odum Ukam charged the participants to brace up for the challenges of the future, noting that the ministry was poised to roll out similar empowerment programmes for young people irrespective of gender.
An inclusive training
Also speaking, the founder of Guru Innovation Hub, a major partner of the Girls-in-STEM Project, Mr. Oyo Effiom said that overriding significance of the training was to present different career options available to females in the science and technology sector.
Effiom maintained that the training programme was targeted at participants across the eighteen local government areas of Cross River State, saying “these 120 girls are from Calabar South and Calabar Municipality and this was just a pilot phase because we needed to be sure that the girls will be able to adapt to our curriculum.
“We believe in quality control and ensuring we simplify the content of the training for the participants in view of their age. One unique thing we observed in the project was that seventy percent of the girls were touching the laptop for the first time. We are hoping to close the gaps using this training,” he assured.
Some of the young beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the wife of the governor for setting up the project and appealed that the projected be expanded to reach other girls especially those residing in villages beyond the state capital.
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