Twenty adolescents have completed a two week Summer Beginner AI and ICT training organised by Action Health Incorporated (AHI) to equip young people with foundational digital skills and prepare them for emerging opportunities.
The programme exposed adolescent girls and boys to basic computer operations, hardware and software, Python programming and introductory artificial intelligence concepts.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), participants also learnt practical applications of AI tools and demonstrated their skills by developing projects, including a simple chatbot capable of generating responses from provided data.
The Programme Manager of AHI, Oluwafunsho Bukoye, said the initiative was designed to help bridge the digital divide by equipping young people with relevant 21st century skills.
Bukoye said the training was organised during the summer holiday to give adolescents an opportunity to acquire technology skills and explore how AI could be used to address emerging challenges.
She encouraged participants to continue learning beyond the two week programme and explore opportunities that would deepen their knowledge and skills.
At the graduation ceremony, participants took part in a Show and Tell session, where they worked in four groups to demonstrate AI tools, explain basic ICT concepts and present projects developed during the training.
The Executive Director of AHI, Mrs Adenike Esiet, urged the participants to maintain the discipline and commitment demonstrated throughout the programme, describing the training as a stepping stone to greater achievements.
She also encouraged parents to continue supporting their children in developing digital skills, noting that basic AI and digital literacy were increasingly important for young people.
One of the participants, 15 year old Justice Ogwuegbu, said the training improved his understanding of technology and strengthened his ambition to become a software designer who would use technology to solve societal challenges.
A parent, Mrs Abosede Daudu, commended AHI and the facilitators for providing the adolescents with the opportunity to acquire practical technology skills.
NAN reports that the initiative forms part of AHI’s broader efforts to promote adolescent development and empowerment through relevant knowledge and skills.
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