Nigeria's First Lady has urged the winners of the third National Girls in ICT competition to remain curious, confident and courageous. She commended the initiative for showcasing the potential of young girls to solve real-life challenges through technology, speaking at the award ceremony hosted by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in Abuja.
She said this year's edition of the National Girls in ICT program had engaged more than 3,700 girls across the six geopolitical zones of the country. The participants were reached through a mix of competitions, boot camps, mentorship sessions and innovation challenges designed to draw them into the world of technology.
The projects on display, she noted, showed how the girls were already applying technology to everyday problems. They ranged from smart fish-pond monitoring systems and AI-powered farm protection to platforms built to support deaf patients and children with autism.
According to her, the program highlighted its success in nurturing digital skills, creativity, leadership and problem-solving among young girls. She described the effort as a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria and a reflection of the president's commitment to raising the next generation of innovators and technology leaders.
In her charge to the girls and young innovators, she repeated her call for them to stay curious, confident and courageous. She told them never to underestimate their inquisitiveness, which she described as the very power behind their ideas.
She encouraged the girls to keep learning, creating and using technology not only to solve problems but also to uplift others and strengthen their communities. The program, she said, should remind them that their dreams are valid, their potential is limitless, and that the future of innovation can proudly bear their imprint.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said empowering girls is essential to building Nigeria's digital economy, stressing that talent will define the nation's future. He pointed to the ministry's plan to keep investing in communication towers, about fifty a year, to bring those still offline onto the network, adding that the president wants that work completed under the current administration.