Odu’a investment foundation launches digital empowerment for South-West youths

Odu’a Investment Foundation (OIF), the charitable arm of Odu’a Investment Company Limited (OICL), has launched a strategic initiative to digitally empower the youth of the South West.

Named DEFINED (Digital Education for Innovation and Economic Development), the project was officially inaugurated on October 27, 2023, at the Lagos Airport Hotel.

The event was attended by representatives from all South Western states of Nigeria.

Directed by Professor Seun Kolade of Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, the initiative aims to empower Yoruba youths for the digital age.

The first endeavor under the DEFINED initiative is the Byte Busters after-school Coding Club, targeting public secondary schools across the 137 local governments in the South West. Currently, the pilot phase is operational in the six southwestern states, with three centers per state and an average of 200 Byte Busters participants per state.

OIF has been working closely with state education ministries and other stakeholders to identify appropriate learning facilities for these clubs.

In Oyo State, the Byte Busters Coding Club has been launched at Government College Ibadan, enrolling 106 students. Learning has commenced according to the carefully curated curriculum, which spans several programming languages.

An accelerated hands-on Summer Coding Bootcamp was organized to engage students during the break.

Similarly, suitable centers have been identified in Abeokuta, Remo, and Ilaro in Ogun State. At Abeokuta Grammar School (ABEOGRAMS), OIF has conducted admission assessments for over 300 students, with 100 Byte Busters already shortlisted.

Ekiti, Lagos, and Osun states are next; after identifying suitable school facilities, students will have the opportunity to express their interest in joining the coding club before undergoing admission assessments. Activities will begin in these states with the resumption of the new academic session in September/October 2024.

Byte Busters aims to demystify the complexities of technology and coding for young minds. The name combines “Byte,” the basic unit of computing, with “Busters,” symbolizing the initiative’s mission to break down barriers around technology.

By doing so, OIF seeks to empower children to not only use technology but to master it, nurturing a generation of innovative, tech-savvy problem solvers.

 

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE