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Group Trains 30 Girls On Digital Technologies
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Women Technology Empowerment Centre (WTEC), says it has trained 30 girls on digital circuit technologies, coding, and web design to bridge gender gap in the technology space.
The Programme Manager at WTEC, Maryam Abdulsalam, said this when she spoke with newsmen in Lagos, last weekend.
She said the girls were trained during the ‘She Creates’ camp organised for girls between ages 13 and 17, at Laureates College, Oshodi, Lagos.
According to her, the girls were trained on building electronic circuits using circuit boards, jumper wires, LED bulbs, plastics, iron, resistors and other cheap materials that they could get in their surroundings.
She noted that the girls were also taught tie and dye to explore some form of hand work and gain the ability to multi-task.
“With simple materials provided, the girls were able to build power banks, rechargeable lamps, keyboard light and LED bulbs, using plastic and cheap wires.
“The girls were asked to build these things to test their critical and problem-solving skills. Most of them were able to come up with different designs when they were told to apply their practical works to real life situations,” she said.
Abdulsalam, who noted that the engineering world thrives on constant reinvention and that women need to be a part of the driving force, explained that the only way to make women be part of that driving force was to start encouraging girls to pick interest in technology-related courses.
She stated that most of the girls at the camp were not science students, but that since the beginning of the training, a lot of them had picked interest.
According to her, apart from technology-related trainings, the NGO decided to add sex education in the two-week curriculum.
They also engaged the girls in self-defence classes to teach them how to defend themselves when involved in any sexual harassment incident.
Also speaking, a participant at the bootcamp, Blessing Collins, said since the beginning of the programme, she had learnt coding, digital circuit technologies and how to use User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design to build apps.
“UI refers to the screens, buttons, icons and other visual elements that you interact with when using a website or other electronic device, while UX refers to the entire interaction you have with a product, including how you feel about the interaction,” she said.
Collins said through her experience in the camp, she could now create a quizz app using the UI and UX designs.
Another participant, Joy Obi, said before she came for the bootcamp she could not operate the computer.
She said within a period of one week she had learnt how to create an app and also use the UI and UX designs perfectly.
“We also learnt how to make keyboard light using carton, wires and LED, I must say it has been fun participating in this bootcamp,” she said.
The Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Company Limited (SNEPCo), Elohor Aiboni, said Bonga, Nigeria’s first deep-water asset, has recorded major milestones, due to effective leadership, cutting-edge technology, continuous improvement and collaboration with stakeholders.
She noted that since coming on stream in November 2005, Bonga has maintained a track record of production that saw it achieve one-billion-barrel export on February 13, last year.
In her presentation, titled “The Bonga Journey to a Billion Barrels”, at the ongoing 2024 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, United States, Aiboni, said: “SNEPCo is grateful for the contributions of all the parties to the Bonga story and we can all be proud of the milestones.
“Bonga has been consistent. In 2014, nine years after coming onstream, it achieved half a billion barrels of crude and doubled it in 2023. We have worked relentlessly to ensure excellent asset management, project and wells delivery and deployment of technology and innovations in our operations”.
According to her, these factors, “coupled with the supportive partnership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and our co-venturers – TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Agip Exploration; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, make Bonga stand out as a world-class investment case”.
She continued that, “SNEPCo also enjoyed the support of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the success of Bonga operations”.
Aiboni also listed the challenges of keeping the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel full as the asset ages and dealing with unexpected developments with subsea wells and equipment.
She said: “SNEPCo responded with a campaign of operational excellence, which among other initiatives, led to the creation of a programme known as the Bonga Business Improvement Plan that continually reviews and identifies improvement initiatives and drives sustainability in operations and upskilling of staff.
“The Bonga success story has been led by Nigerians who have been managing directors of SNEPCo since it was established in 1993, in a deliberate policy by Shell to develop indigenous manpower for deep-water operations in Nigeria.
“Today, some 97percent of the SNEPCo workforce is Nigerian and overall, Bonga has helped to create a new generation of Nigerian deep-water professionals.
“Our vision at SNEPCo remains to be the best deep-water business, powering growth and achieving net zero emissions in line with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy”.
Banks’ borrowings from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) fell month-on-month, (MoM) by 44 percent to N12.16 trillion in April from N21.7 trillion in March.
Analysis of latest data from the CBN shows that the 44percent drop represents the first MoM decline in banks borrowing from since January when it increased by 268.7 percent to N3.6 trillion from N976.29 billion in December 2023.
However, further analysis showed that banks’ deposits in the CBN SDF grew MoM by 118.4 percent to N428.97 billion in April from N196.37 billion in March 2024.
Banks make use of the SLF to access liquidity to run their day-to-day business operations while the Standing Deposit Facility window (SDF) on the other hand, is an overnight deposit facility that allows banks to lodge excess liquidity (money) with the CBN and earn interest.
The decline in banks’ borrowing from SLF may reflect an increase in banking system liquidity and also the decision of the apex bank last year to remove the limit on the remunerable daily placements by banks at the SDF.
According to the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the CBN removed the cap on the remunerable SDF to increase activity in the SDF window and manage liquidity.
A Financial technology expert, Olatunji Akinrinola, has highlighted the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, which according to him, was driven by technological advancements.
Akinrinola made this assertion in a press release recently, where he stressed that the role of technology in driving this exponential growth in the FinTech sector was very outstanding.
According to him, Technology has revolutionised the way financial services are delivered, making them more accessible, efficient, and inclusive.
“Through innovations such as mobile banking, digital payments, and blockchain technology, FinTech companies have been able to reach a larger population and provided them with access to financial services”, he stated.
Akinrinola emphasised the role of technology in enabling financial inclusion, adding: “Technology has democratised access to financial services, particularly in regions with limited banking infrastructure.
“Mobile money platforms and digital wallets have empowered individuals to conduct financial transactions conveniently and securely, without the need for traditional banking services”.
He also underscored the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics in driving innovation within the FinTech industry, noting: “AI-powered algorithms and predictive analytics have revolutionised risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer personalisation in financial services.
“These technologies enable FinTech companies to provide tailored solutions and mitigate risks more effectively, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience”.
Akinrinola stressed the importance of regulatory frameworks in fostering the growth of the FinTech industry.
“While technology has accelerated the growth of FinTech, it is essential to establish robust regulatory frameworks to ensure consumer protection and maintain market stability. Regulators play a crucial role in balancing innovation with risk management, thereby creating a conducive environment for the sustainable growth of the FinTech sector”, he stated.
Akinrinola underscored the role of technology in driving the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, saying, “Technology has been a game-changer for the FinTech sector, enabling innovation, expanding access to financial services, and driving economic growth.
“As technology continues to evolve, the FinTech industry will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of financial services ecosystem”.
Corlins Walter
