NITDA Trains, Empowers 200 Kids In Technology 

The National  Information Technology Development Agency  (NITDA) says it has  graduated more than 200 kids trained at the STEM Bootcamp for Kids (SB4KIDS) in Lagos State, recently .
The Director General,  NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa,  said the event was aimed at bridging the existing gap in the  educational sector.
Inuwa noted that the Stem Bootcamp for Kids triggered NITDA’s interest and resonated with the ongoing efforts towards implementing the National Digital economy policy for a digital Nigeria.
Represented  by the Manager,  South West Zonal Office of NITDA, Mrs Jumoke Alaka, he said the agency’s mandate was to create a framework for the planning, research, development, and standardization of application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria.
According to him, the agency   remains committed to supporting campaigns to diversify the country’s economy from a resource-based to a knowledge-based one through Information Technology (IT).
‘’We are indeed proud to be part of this event. It is my pleasure to introduce to you National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
“NCAIR is one of NITDA’s special purpose vehicles created to promote research and development on emerging technologies, and their practical application in areas of Nigeria’s national interest”, he said.
He noted that Kids across spectrums of the society were trained by NCAIR, a training organ of NITDA on Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Drone.
The NITDA boss also hinted that kids were also trained  on Digital Communications, Embedded Systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality, and 3D requisite skill-set for the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Inuwa further revealed  that as an NCAIR’s catch-them-young initiative, the SB4KIDS was a Bootcamp to inspire young Nigerians in STEM.
“Through the SB4Kids, NCAIR engaged youngsters between the ages of 8 and 16 years in an immersive and well-articulated bootcamp”, he said.
According  to him, the bootcamp was meant to coach and inspire youngsters to imbibe passion in STEM and create an early interest in digital and emerging technolgies, saying that the technologies would hopefully shape the children’s future careers in the field.