Bayelsa Trains 100 School Girls On Tech Entrepreneurship

Bayelsa Government has commenced the training of 100 girls on Technology Entrepreneurship that will enable them deploy technology to solve problems in Bayelsa. The girls were selected from Model Secondary Schools in the state and the training will last for three months.
The Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF), Mrs Alice Atuwo, said at the opening ceremony of the programme in Yenagoa that the benefits of the programme were enormous.
She explained that the EDTF had earlier carried out the training of “Coding and Robotics” for 103 students in SS1 and SS2 during the last Summer Camping Programme in October 2022.
She disclosed that the current programme was being funded by Odyssey Educational Foundation and that it is free of charge.
She told the participants, “After participating in a Technovation programme like this, it would arouse your interest in technology leadership. A greater percentage of you the beneficiaries will enrol in more computer related courses in your schools.
“Others can go on to develop business plans which you can present at business events, meet with world business leaders and eventually start your own businesses.
“You can also go on to support the next cohorts of Technovation Girls in return. The end result is that Technovation changes girls/students’ lives for good and the society is better for it.
“This is what Odyssey Education Foundation is introducing to 100 girls in our Model Secondary Schools.”
She praised Odyssey for the initiative that was coming at a time that gaining employment was for secondary school leavers, a lot of who were unemployable.
The Executive Secretary urged the girls to take the training seriously and should be prepared to interface with appointed mentors that visit their schools.
She said since 2010 when the programme started, more than 39,000 girls from more than 100 countries had gone through Technovation programmes and had learnt to create “Apps” to solve various problems and/or produced mobile app startups.
She appealed to parents and leaders of community and corporate organisations to encourage and support the girls to succeed and become proud members of their families and communities.
The Program Director of Odyssey Educational Foundation, Ms. Stella Uzockukwu-Dennis, said the training was aimed at bringing Bayelsa up to speed with the constantly changing digital world.
She said the programme provides technological knowledge and that is is basically for ages eight to 18.
The Programme Director said it also teaches beneficiaries how to solve problems using technology and it will empower the girl child that she can make money and develop a business plan and how to start it.
On his part, the commissioner for Education Mr Gentle Emelah, said the programme can make the Bayelsa girl child to be a breadwinner for her family.
He urged them to take advantage of the training as it could be a life changer, saying the government was interested in their future and well being.