By Aaron Ossai
Director General of Teen Ambassador Foundation (TAF) Mr Paul Adiwu has called on the federal government to invest more on young teenagers in the area of Information Communication Technology, ICT across the country.
Adiwu made the call at the closing ceremony of a Summer Programme organised by Teen Ambassador Foundation in collaboration with the Net Access Communication Ltd in Abuja.
The summer which began on July 24 and ended Sept. 2 was targeted at training Teenagers and Youth on Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Education with Robotics.
Adiwu, while speaking said the centre was not a training institute but his passion to develop the potential of kids in the country made him organised the training for kids.
He said his passion was to expose the kids to science technology engineering, mathimatics and robotics by employing experts to engage them.
Several teenagers and youths were trained in robotics and were presented with certificates, while some of them demonstrated what they have learnt in robotics.
Also speaking at the event, Babatunde Bamigboye, Head, Legal Enforcement and Regulation,The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) also warned Nigerians especially teenagers against sharing personal information on the internet.
Bamigboye who represented, the Director General of the commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji said Nigerians should be wary of putting all their data on the internet so as to keep people off from knowing everything about them.
He said, “at the commission, we protect data, and most of what you will need to develop apps depends on data.
“You must protect your information when you go online. It is important that this form part of our curriculum as teacher of children because they are now exposed to what adults are exposed to.”
Bamigboye said he was hopeful that from the kids who attended the summer organised by Teen Ambassador, the country would have renowned innovators among them.
He commended TAF for organising such a programme to keep the children busy during the holiday, while assuring the teenagers that in 20 years from now they would remember “today and thank the organiser.”
“The world of ICT especially this robotic artificial intelligence is the world of the new oil where everyone is going towards. Now you have better opportunities than Bill Gate.”
Rep. Avia Agah, member, representing Jos North, Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State commended the Director General of TAF Mr Paul Adiwu, adding that the gesture was laudable.
He said, “I am overwhelmed and happy, you have chosen humanity at a time when the country is grappling with so many challenges, you have chosen to keep our children in this endeavour. ”
Mr Victor Taiba, Chief Executive Officer, Net Access Communication Ltd., who trained the teenagers said “the only thing to be a part of what is happening around the world is to train the kids.”
According to him, how can we queue into what’s happening around the world? The way is to start with kids to make the children have a solid foundation in engineering and mathematics.
“A child should be able to build a system with this training in automobile, robotic, smart agriculture when they start early,” he said.
