As part of its effort to ensure quality and sustainable development in the education sector in line with the Omituntun 2.0 Agenda of the state governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, the Office of the Human Capital Development has revealed its readiness to train 1,000 senior secondary schools students on free coding and non-code technology skills.

The Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Administration, Revd. Idowu Ogedengbe, stated this on Friday, during a Press Briefing held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

Ogedengbe noted that the initiative, which is aimed at launching a groundbreaking technology programme to empower senior secondary school students across the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State, with technology skills, will be implemented in partnership with some private investors in the technology sector.

He maintained that the training, which will be held between July 15th and July 19th at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, will begin with selected schools in all the eleven (11) local governments in Ibadan Main and Less Cities, while other beneficiaries from the remaining local governments will be trained at a subsequent date.

He said: “This pilot programme will witness an unprecedented event where 1,000 senior secondary school students from the 11 local governments of Ibadan will receive specialised training in coding and non-code tech skills.

“The next phases of the initiative would see us taking the training to the remaining LGAs with a view to ensuring that the impact is widespread and even across all the constituencies in Oyo State.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing quality education and preparing our youth for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

“CodeGarage Africa has been at the forefront of promoting digital literacy across Africa, and we are delighted to partner with them in this endeavour with the support of Zeeh Africa and 386Konsult. We aim to equip our students with the tech skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the increasingly digital world.

“The importance of coding or non-code tech skills cannot be overstated in today’s society, from driving innovation to solving complex problems, tech skills are a fundamental skill that opens doors to countless opportunities.

“Introducing coding education to our senior secondary school students will allow us to lay the foundation for a future where they can excel in technology-driven fields and contribute meaningfully to the development of our state and beyond.”

Ogedengbe added that the programme is in tandem with the vision of Governor Makinde on education, as his government’s policy is not only to invest in the future of the youths but to also position Oyo State as a hub for innovation and technological advancement.

He, therefore, encouraged stakeholders, including parents, educators, and the private sector, to support and participate in the laudable programme to unlock the full potentials of the young stars to become leaders in the digital age.

In their remarks, the partnering private investors, CodeGarage Africa, Miss Dolapo Ayeni and her counterpart, Zeeh Africa, Mr David Adeleke, said training the students from the grassroots level is very useful to the ecosystem.

They added that it is another way of catching them young and also exposing them to entrepreneurship, even as they called for more partners to collaborate with the Oyo State government.