News
W.TEC to Train Girls, Women on ICT Skills Nationwide
A non-governmental organisation, Women Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) is set to train 1,180 girls and women nationwide on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills.
The Head of Communications and Research of the organization, Mr Yemi Odutola, made the disclosure over the weekend in Lagos.
According to him, the training will be conducted through W.TEC’s ‘MakeHer Space’ programme.
Odutola described MakeHer Space as a hands-on technology training project for ladies, carried out in partnership with Google.
Odutola said the initiative was designed to motivate selected ladies to create technology and engineering-based solutions that would solve problems in their communities and provide information about career options.
“The programme is designed to cater for young women mostly from lower-income households living in communities where the MakeHer Space-targeted populations reside.
“We will be training girls between ages 10 years and 17 years (in school) and ladies that are 18 years to 25 years (out of school).
“The programme is targeting 1,180 participants this year,” Odutola said.
He said that with the completion of the pilot phase, the programme would be extended from Lagos to other states, including Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi and Abuja.
Odutola said that due to COVID-19 pandemic, virtual sessions for out-of-school participants would feature classes on electronics and digital circuit technologies, mechatronics, and problem and market research presentations.
He said that the out-of-school group programme would run for one month, with each session lasting for two hours.
Odutola said the in-school group would meet once a week for one month, adding that each session would last for four hours.
“This training is targeted at teaching girls and women to create technology and engineering-based solutions that solve problems in their communities.
“It will also help young women to develop abilities to work in teams and in engineering-centred projects, develop marketable and practical skills in art design, mathematics and critical thinking,” he added.
According to him, W.TEC will also be running a programme tagged ‘MentorHER’.
He said the programme scheduled for six months was designed to link successful women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as mentors to selected female undergraduates of those courses.
“The new cycle features mentors from all over the world, who have been mentoring our ladies from their diverse fields in STEM.
“There are 25 mentors and 25 mentees currently involved in an ongoing cycle, a bigger membership is planned for the next cycle slated to commence in the last quarter of this year,” Odutola said.
He said that the organisation would also be running other programmes which would include Early Innovators for children, Staying Safe online programmes and Inclusive Technology for all (designed for physically challenged people).
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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