Olufemi Adeyemi
Young female app developers from Nigeria are set to represent their country at the upcoming World Tech Summit in the United States.
Four female students from Jacob’s Well High School
International, a private school based in Port Harcourt, have developed an
Android application called AgriConnect to address hunger issues in the country.
They have been invited to attend this year’s World Technovation Girls Challenge
in Silicon Valley, California, United States.
The summit will be held from October 15 to 19, 2024, and
will convene a select group of young female Android application developers from
around the world, who were chosen through a rigorous selection process.
The JSS2 students from Jacob’s Well High School in Port
Harcourt—Oghenemaro Tejiri (age 12), Salome Akhabhau (age 11), Excel
Barile-Nwika (age 11), and Goodness Nwonanne-Chima (age 12)—have created an
Android application with the goal of addressing hunger in Nigeria.
The young ladies were receiving mentorship from Code
Ambassadors, the external consultants contracted to prepare the students of the
institution to excel in the ever-changing technology industry.
The AgriConnect application was one of the 3,200 Android
applications developed by approximately 11,000 female participants from 69
countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China,
Canada, and Spain.
The four young ladies who refer to themselves as the Smart
Elite were unfortunately placed in the novice division of the competition,
which is intended for participants between the ages of eight and twelve. The
other categories are the junior division (ages thirteen to seventeen) and the
senior division (ages eighteen and older).
Following a thorough evaluation process conducted by a
diverse panel of judges, fifteen android applications (five per category) were
shortlisted as finalists. Additionally, three android applications were
recognized for special awards. The virtual ceremony celebrating these
achievements was held on July 9.
The young Nigerian female developers who were acknowledged
for their exceptional application are cordially invited to the fully-funded
technovation summit, where the esteemed awardees will be chosen.
Mrs. Egondu Jacob, the school's coordinator and proprietor,
expressed that it comes as no surprise that her students are making a mark in
app development at such a young age, putting Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and
Nigeria on the global map.
She said: “The news of the exceptional performance of our
girls and the special award for combating hunger was received with lots of
excitements by the board chairman, Engr. Unwana Jacob and the entire school.
“This achievement is a dream fulfilled because having seen
our biological children- Miss Ukemeabasi Unwana Jacob (with 8A1s and 1B2 result
in the 2023 WASSCE) and Master Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob (a young maths Icon with
over 40 national and international medals in mathematics)-receiving national;
“…and international accolades in their secondary school
education, we had challenged ourselves that under God, children from other
families should equally be trained to stand out and be recognized nationally
and globally through the facilities and programmes of the Jacob’s Well Schools
International.
“We are grateful to God for the enormous support received
from our consultant, Mr. Somkenechukwu Mamah, the founder of Code Ambassadors
(an organization dedicated to training kids & teens in technology, problems
solving and entrepreneurship), amazing staff and also from parents in the
school.
“We are optimistic that greater achievements are on the way
and Nigeria and Africa would be made proud through the achievements of our
students.
“It is interesting to note that AgriConnect was the only
android application from Nigeria that made it to the final round as well as the
only android application in Africa that got a special award out of the three
mobile applications recognized for a special award, globally.”
In the current technologically driven era, it is imperative
for Nigerian leaders to prioritize investments in technology education for
children. Recognizing this need, Jacob’s Well Schools has taken the initiative
to introduce coding, robotics, and ICT to pupils from primary one, fostering
their knowledge and growth in these critical areas.
“As at date, students and pupils in the school have created
over 12 android applications to solve societal problems and some of these apps
have received international recognitions. Five android applications created by
the five teams of female students in the school were registered for the 2024
Technovation Global Competition;
“an annual event where girls from various countries in the
world register in teams in order to showcase their tech-based solutions to
community problems created by their teams in line with the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
Additionally, the school’s technology consultant expressed
optimism that the young female quartet of app developers would distinguish
themselves as the youngest startup co-founders who utilize technology to
address a wider range of challenges, particularly in the agricultural sector.
“In the next five years, they should have gained experience
building business models around their solution, gaining more traction,
attracting funding, and inspiring more young minds to start their tech journey
early enough. I hope the country supports them by providing all the resources
and access they need to get their solution into the hands of Nigerians.”