Vodacom Trains, Inspires Students with Laptop, Mentorship Offer

Peace Obi

The Vodacom Business Nigeria has trained 25 female students of Clemmy High School Agodo-Egbe, Lagos on Internet of Things (IoT) as part of its support for the Girls in ICT Programme.

The training, which among others, was aimed at encouraging more female students to choose a career in ICT, also provided the students with first-hand experience of new technologies that are driving the world’s largest economy which Nigeria is one of them. These include M2M, networking, network and cloud, satellite and cloud computing, among others.

Addressing the students, the Managing Director, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Kolade, urged them to believe in themselves, adding that they can be anything they want to be if only can develop the interest and put their heart to it.
While stressing that the choice of studying ICT depends largely on students’ interest in science subjects at the secondary school level, the MD advised them not be intimidated by physics, chemistry and biology, but that they should enjoy the subjects and make them an integral part of their daily lives.

“The only thing that is impossible is what you have not set your hearts to do. So work harder, study more and interact with those who know it better than you do.”

On the role of the teacher in students’ choice of ICT in tertiary institution, Kolade said the choice starts with students liking the way the subjects are taught. He urged teachers to be innovative in their teaching, adding that the biggest work in getting more girls to develop interest in ICT lies with the teachers. “Teachers must begin to adopt innovative ways of teaching the subject so that more students, especially females will not only become interested in ICT but choose to work in ICT industries upon completing their studies.”

Vodacom Business Nigeria which has over the years through its Power to You project, trained students at all levels of education on the role of ICT extended its CRS project to Clemmy High School after the school emerged winner of app development and quiz competition as part of activities marking the Girls in ICT Day celebration organised by e-Business Life.

The winners of the competition, Miss Chidera Onyekuru and Miss Peace Agboola both SS2 students were presented with brand new laptops and mentorship offer by Kolade for their brilliance and for Agboola’s ingenious development of a mobile app she named ‘Talk to me’. The app reads out loud text on a mobile device by waving the device with your hands.