The Oyo State Government plans a free training of 1,000 senior secondary school students in coding and non-code technology skills, an official said in Ibadan on Friday.

The Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration, Idowu Ogedengbe, told journalists that the gesture was part of the government’s efforts to ensure quality and sustainable development in the education sector.

He said, “The initiative is aimed at launching a groundbreaking technology programme to empower senior secondary school students with technology skills, across the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State.’’.

Mr Ogedengbe however said the programme planned to hold from July 15 to July 19 in Ibadan, would be implemented in partnership with some private investors in the technology sector.

The governor’s Executive Assistant on Administration added that the training would begin with selected schools in all the 11 LGAs within Ibadan and other cities of the state.

He said that other beneficiaries from the remaining LGAs would be trained later.

“The next phases of the initiative will see us taking the training to the remaining LGAs, with a view to ensuring that the impact is widespread and even across all the constituencies in Oyo State,” Mr Ogedengbe said.

He said the initiative marks a significant milestone in the state government’s commitment to providing quality education and preparing the state’s youths for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

“CodeGarage Africa has been at the forefront of promoting digital literacy across Africa, and we are delighted to partner with them in this endeavour, with the support of Zeeh Africa and 386 Konsult. We aim to equip our students with the tech skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the increasingly digital world. The importance of coding or non-code tech skills cannot be overstated in today’s society. From driving innovation to solving complex problems, tech skills are a fundamental skill that opens doors to countless opportunities.

“Introducing coding education to our senior secondary school students will allow us to lay the foundation for a future, where they can excel in technology-driven fields and contribute meaningfully to the development of our state and beyond,” Mr Ogedengbe said.

He urged stakeholders, including parents, educators and the private sector, to support and participate in the laudable programme.

He said,”This is because it will help to unlock the full potential of the young stars to become leaders in the digital age.”

In their respective remarks, representatives of the partnering private investors —-CodeGarage Africa and Zeeh Africa —- said training students from the grassroots level was useful to the ecosystem.

Dolapo Ayeni of CodeGarage Africa said the initiative was another way of “catching them young” and also exposing the youths to entrepreneurship.

David Adeleke of Zeeh Africa called for more partners to collaborate with the Oyo State Government in programmes which would prepare the young ones for future engagement.

(NAN)