A Port Harcourt-based education and tech startup, 9jacodekids Academy, has advocated tech education and training for Nigerian children and young people, and also reiterated its commitment in training and bringing coding skills closer to children.
The co-founder of the startup, Ugochukwu Nkwocha, made this known to Tribune Online on Monday through a communiqué.
Nkwocha stated that their work is focused on equipping children and teenagers aged 4 – 16 with tech skills such as coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence in order to prepare them for a future that is dominated by technology.
He further stated that in his training and interaction with children and young people, he sees a brighter future where Nigeria leads Africa in technological development.
“I see a future where our youth are making critical technological contributions to the world,” he said. “A future where we don’t depend on the technology created by others, rather we export our technology to the world.”
He said he understands that the current economic situation of Nigeria is affecting almost everything, which may discourage parents from training their children in tech and computing, but the training is worth it in the end.
“Rising costs of tech equipment due to inflation and rising exchange rates are affecting our cost of doing business,” he said.
However, he noted that because of the passion they have for young people and for their future, they want to continue in their current line of business and expand their physical locations to Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu to give more children access to their services.
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Nkwocha said the expansion was necessary following the opportunity his startup got to secure $350,000 USD from Mr Bolaji Balogun, through the Lions’ Den business reality show.
He stated that the reality show gives budding entrepreneurs across Nigeria the chance to pitch their businesses to five successful Nigerian investors, referred to as lions.
He said Mr Balogun, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chapel Hill Denham and one of the lion investors, invested in his startup because he (Balogun) is passionate about ventures that aim at developing more software engineers in the country because he believes engineers are the driving force of technological advancement.
He further said the lion investors are looking to give back to the society and to help Nigerians fulfil their dreams and ambitions, and that if they see a potential in an entrepreneur’s business, idea, or products, they will invest in it, in exchange for some equity in the business.
“But, even bigger than the cash investment, these lions, who are business leaders in their own rights, will become the entrepreneur’s business partners and help them take their businesses to greater heights,” he said.
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