Emmanuela Ilok: Global Rise Winner Keen on Providing Technological Solutions

Emmanuela Ilok, a 16-year-old student of Greensprings School Lagos, is among the second cohort of the 100 Rise Global Winners, an initiative of Schmidt Futures, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. The Rise challenge finds brilliant people — 15 to 17-year- olds and gives them the opportunity to solve problems in their community through passion and innovation. It is the flagship program of Schmidt Futures and the anchor of a broader $1 billion philanthropic commitment from Eric and Wendy Schmidt to talent development across their initiatives. Of the 200 winners, five are from Nigeria including Ilok who hails from Cross River State. An aspiring software engineer, Ilok identified the disparity between the quality of Computer Science education in public and private schools. For her Rise project, she developed a program called ‘CodEd’ which offered teacher training programs, a student- centred curriculum as well as internship opportunities for students. Currently studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma program at Greensprings, she is one of the top eight participants in the YTBC business competition as she developed an app to tackle insecurity in Nigeria. A Young-Yale African scholar and Girls Who Code alumnus, Ilok aims to reform Computer Science Education in Nigeria. Vanessa Obioha recently encountered Ilok. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Is there a story behind your interest in technology?

First of all, I would describe myself as an ambitious, enthusiastic, and at the same time jovial individual whose passion lies greatly in technology and its potential to make improvements in different fields of human endeavour. Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by the inner workings of computer systems and as a result, my passion in that area has grown over the years. I aspire to be a Software Engineer in future, using my technical skills to make positive changes to disadvantaged individuals and communities. I am a strong believer in the theory of social learning, whereby humans learn best around others and as a result, I am very open to learning from others and hearing different ideas and viewpoints. Furthermore, I have a keen interest in sports, most notably football. Living in Nigeria has significantly exposed me to the community- driven nature of football. From participating in school inter-house games to coaching my little brother weekly on the basics of soccer, I use soccer to unwind.

In what ways do you think Rise would impact your life?

I believe that Rise would have a great impact on my life in many ways. From the large global community to the variety of opportunities Rise has to offer, I truly believe that being a winner would build me up to my full potential. Moreover, I believe that being a Rise winner would motivate me in pursuit of my career goals as Rise not only makes mentorship op- portunities for its winners but also specialized career services. The lifetime support from Rise is one which I believe I would benefit most from as the program would not only support in funding my educational pursuits but other social enterprise projects that I would embark on in serving others throughout my lifetime. I believe that being a Rise winner would not only impact me directly but also my family, community, and country. The platform that Rise has given me would help me look at the world differently in terms of innovation and problem-solving, making a positive impact on people’s lives. I am truly excited for what the future holds for me as a Rise winner.

What sets Rise apart from other programs for you?

In my opinion, Rise is a unique program for many reasons. Rise is not just a competition; to me, Rise is a learning experience which ingrains essential skills that youths need to be problem solvers. The Rise program is one which brings forth intellectual vitality, curiosity, and an unending quest for new knowledge in youths. I say this because Rise provided its finalists with an abundance of learning experiences over the summer. From the numerous boot camps hosted by the University of Chicago to the “Climate change & You” program hosted by the Centre of Systems Awareness, all the finalists were able to benefit from the rigorous intellectual opportunities provided by Rise this summer. Most notably, Rise is unique as it encourages collaborative thinking through its vast global community which consists of people from over 170 countries. Rise Global winners have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas during the annual residential summit. Rise’s approach is also very different from other programs as applicants are required to make video essays of their projects. This new approach to competing definitely helped me in terms of flexibility as I was used to the conventional way of competitions which mostly focused on written essays. The fact that Rise Global Winners are offered a lifetime opportunity with individualized support to empower them to achieve their goals while they work to serve others, sets Rise apart. I truly believe that the Rise program is like no other. It is a lifestyle.

What challenges if any have you faced as a teenager, trying to get her voice heard, and how did you overcome these challenges?

Living in a country where age is paramount in society, I have faced the challenge of being taken seriously by adults with regards to issues affecting Nigeria today. Students in my age group are often restricted to the confines of academic work and as a result, they are left with the impression that problems are meant to be solved only by adults. To overcome this widespread dogma, I decided to compete for and take up leadership positions in my school to make my voice and the voices of my peers heard. In Year Six, I served as the Elementary School Head Girl. In Year 10 and Year 11, I served as the Secondary School Head Girl. In this position, I worked in collaboration with 20 other prefects to organise programs such as ‘Girl Up’, a female empowerment program; anti-bullying programs and other school activities which made students aware of pressing social issues and how to address them. One of the problems I aimed to address in my school was the problem of plastic waste. Environmental pollution is an issue that is close to my heart. While at Secondary School, I used my video editing skills to record and produce an environmental awareness video to encourage students to donate their plastic bottles to the school’s club, thereby saving the school environment from plastic waste.

Finally, as a Nigerian student, I am weary of the high rate of insecurity in the country. It is no longer news that many students have been kidnapped from their schools in recent years. Whereas some were rescued and reunited with their families, others have not been so lucky as they remain in captivity and unaccounted for. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for their parents, families, and friends. In an effort to find a solution to this ugly situation, in 2021, I collaborated with my classmate and friend, Chioma Abone to develop an app prototype called “AirGuard” which works in tandem with a wearable device to alert family members and friends when their child is in danger of being abducted. I am a firm believer that through technology many challenges we face today can be solved.

What universal problem does your project aim to solve?

Upon identifying the various inadequa- cies in Nigeria’s technology space, I was determined to find the root cause of this issue. A thorough review indicated that one of the key causal factors is the deficient nature of Computer Science education in Nigerian schools. There are many schools that teach Computer Science without the students seeing and using a physical computer! The lack of computing facilities in schools and trained computing teachers could be traced to the government’s underfunding of the education sector at different levels. This issue is of great importance to me because, as a youth myself, I know the potential that many other youths have to be problem solvers if given adequate knowledge and resources. With this observa- tion, I was motivated to execute my passion project “CodEd” to tackle the inadequate nature of Computer Science education in Nigerian public schools. The main objectives of my project involve the implementation of teacher-training and student programs which aim to introduce more practical and immersive teaching styles to make Computer Science learning practical, engaging and effective. I developed a new computer science curriculum for the students which contains several resources to make lessons very practical and dynamic for both the teachers and the students. The project also involves career-tracking programs and internships for students to provide them with practical work experiences and skills they would need to succeed in the real world. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. Education is the key to solving problems in our society and my program aims to address Sustainable Development Goal No. 4, “Inclusive Education for All”.

I believe that students in both public and private schools should be given equal opportunities to acquire quality computer science education as this would help to build a community of innovative thinkers who would proffer solutions to the many problems plaguing Nigeria today.

What role do you see this opportunity playing in the next five years to get you to your dream?

One thing about the world of software development is that it is always evolving. This fluidity is one which greatly excites me as you never know what to expect. In five years, I see myself in my third year of university, studying Computer Science with a specialty in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. During this period, I plan not to only engage in academic activities but also activities outside of the classroom. In five years, I see myself undergo- ing internships in different global technology organisations so as to hone my technical skills, gain meaningful work experiences and relate better with people who are more experienced in the field. During that time, I also see myself running my program ‘CodEd’ on a larger scale whereby CodEd would not only cater for public school students in my immediate community but students in Nigeria, through the national curriculum in place. I intend to progressively build this program over the years to expand its reach to different states in the country. I also see myself working on other new projects such as an app to provide support and care for the elderly, etc. In five years, I believe I would have the necessary skills required to develop fully functional applications to address different societal problems, tightly knitted with the Rise Global community. This opportunity given to me by Rise would play a key role in helping