Firm Trains Underserved Kids on IT Skills

L-R: inDrive, BeginIT Representative & Driver Acquisition Specialist, Mrs. Onuzulike Clementina; BeginIT beneficiary from Mayzer Memorial Foundation, Bello Jubril; Director, Transport Operations, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olasunkanmi Ojowuro; BeginIT beneficiary from Mayzer Memorial Foundation, Grace Joseph; Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Directorate of Vehicle Inspection Service (DVIS), Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Mrs. Adejoke Balogun and Business Development Representative, inDrive, Nigeria, Mr. Timothy Oladimeji during the BeginIT Stem Pop Up Programme by inDrive, held in Lagos.

A transport firm, Indrive, has completed training  for less privileged children on Information Technology (IT) skills under its BeginIT programme.

The BeginIT project  is an initiative  targeted at identifying and providing future career guidance for capable children from orphanages, boarding schools, and rural schools in new technologies.

Thirty-three students drawn from three schools owned by not-for-profit organisations were groomed on different technologies, including Embedded Systems (Physical Computing with Arduino kit).

At the end of the session,  students presented projects to demonstrate their ability to identify solutions related to transportation in their environment.

Director of Transport Operations, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Olasunkanmi Ojowuro, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, hailed inDrive for the initiative, which he said, would go a long way to bring about innovations needed to transform not only the transportation sector but other sectors in the state.

“Whatever you learn, make sure you take it seriously because the more you understand, the better for us. It is good to seize this opportunity as children so that Nigeria can match up with technological advancement as it is in many developed societies. For instance, transportation has changed from what we witnessed in the past. We use technology to manage transportation,” he said.

Speaking on the theme, “inDrive: Future of Mobility”, InDrive’s BeginIT Representative & Driver Acquisition specialist, Mrs Onuzulike Clementina, explained that the initiative, which has registered its presence in 15 countries, including Nigeria, is geared towards catching children  young in technology to stimulate their problem-solving skills and prepare them for the future of work.

“We believe strongly in the potential of every child regardless of the circumstance of their birth. We feel they need to get the knowledge in time to ensure that they can compete with their counterparts in the developed world. This is why we have come up with an initiative to enable them to reach their potential,” she said.

She stated that the training would further help to deepen knowledge around transportation and automobiles by helping to groom a new generation of engineers, designers and creatives.

Programme Associate, STEMCafe, Daye Omona, stated that the organisation was partnering with inDrive on the initiative to impact  children by implementing a STEM-based programme focused on the future of transportation.

According to him,  the training  would afford them the opportunity to learn concepts such as design thinking, conceptualisation and working with microcontrollers and sensors necessary to create, for example, a driverless car or blue tooth control boat.

Not-for-profit institutions that participated in the session included Amazing Grace, Precious Jasper Foundation and Mayzer Memorial Foundation.

October 21, 2022