In a bold stride towards bridging Nigeria’s digital divide, the Bunmi Adedayo Foundation has successfully trained over 500 secondary school students in crucial digital and technology-based skills through its flagship programme, STEAM Ahead.
This innovative initiative focuses on enhancing creativity, critical thinking, and technological problem-solving abilities among students, particularly from underserved backgrounds.
According to Educa.ng, STEAM Ahead delivers hands-on learning in essential tech disciplines such as coding (HTML and CSS), digital design, and logical reasoning, opening up new avenues for education and future employment in the tech sector.
The Foundation shared the inspiring story of Mary, a young student from Ketu, Lagos, who had considered halting her education after secondary school due to financial challenges and bleak job prospects faced by her siblings. However, her experience with STEAM Ahead completely shifted her perspective.
“STEAM Ahead taught me to dream bigger and showed me that I could achieve more without abandoning my ambitions,” Mary said.
Since its launch, STEAM Ahead has provided direct training to 90 students—35 of them girls—while its ICT centres in Ketu and Yaba have delivered basic computer literacy to over 500 students.
The Foundation also reported that the programme has resulted in a 30 percent increase in literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking among participants.
The initiative’s success, the Foundation noted, was fueled by partnerships with organizations like Google, Datatec, and Patent Pathway International, led by Mr. Yombo Peters.
In its statement, the Foundation called for further corporate sponsorship to expand its reach. “There are countless students like Mary awaiting transformation. With more support, we can extend quality education to even more underserved children in Nigeria,” the Foundation stated.
