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WITIN Holds 6-Week Summer iCamp for Children
Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) said preparations are on top gears towards hosting a six-week online work-at-home summer camp for children between the ages 9 to 18.
The programme tagged: “iCamp 2014”, WITIN said, children can participate from anywhere in the world, even as they are open to sponsorship.
While addressing journalists at this year’s two-day Total School Support Seminar/Exhibition (TSSS) organized by Edumark in Lagos, Martha Alade-Omoekpen, president, Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), said the essence of the iCamp is to help young minds discover their innate ICT talents, provide digital opportunities by exposing them to high profile software that will advance and aid learning beyond the walls of classroom setting.
She said the summer programme will inspire innovative tendencies in the participating children.
“We are not just reaching out to adults alone; we are now reaching out to adolescents. However, there was a dossier raised that the way we are going the males might turn ‘endangered species’. So, through the iCamp we shall be conducting some research. We want to see how the male and female children are embracing and using technology. This iCamp will give us something intelligent to share with stakeholders,” she said.
The ingenuity of the iCamp attracted Yinka Ogunde, coordinator of the Edumart who expressed delight over WITIN’s designed programmes to attract attention of the young people to developing their talents.
Ogunde said: “What Women In Technology is doing is in line with what we are trying to achieve through the Total School Support programme. When we look at issues around, the way technology is redefining the way things are is formidable. It is, therefore, important that we carry the education community along.
“For instance, mothers are so engaged with other things that they find it difficult to teach their children anymore. Thus, the teachers who conduct the teaching should have access to the technology. That is why they know and understand what is going on within the education sector.
“That is what the Total School Support tries to do: bringing up what is new within the educational sector, so that the education community in Nigeria will be aware what is going on. There are organizations developing wonderful things that will change the way a child learns.
“Technology is formidable. You will be amazed what is going on with learning. They are mostly interactive in nature. If a teacher is not careful the children will leave him or her behind”.
On girl child education, she said, “When you educate a woman you are changing the face of a nation; redefining a whole community, society. It is important that the girl child is well educated, because the woman spends more time with the children than the man.
“So, when you educate a girl you are equipping her to be able to nurture your generation yet unborn. There are few times when you see an educated woman raising an uneducated child. She inspires a nation. When you educate a woman, you make her become confident and strong individual and thereby changing the nation”.
She added that girl child education is something every Nigerian should take very serious in country, even engaging them with technology.
Meanwhile, Alade-Omoekpen, listed topic to be covered during the six-week iCamp to include, graphics, drawing, animation, digital story-telling, entrepreneurship, and project.
“We were focusing on Nigeria’s environment; meanwhile, our first registrants are from the United States. They watched the few minutes video on YouTube and were captivated by what they saw. We are expecting more international participants now.
“The reason for the choice of topics is that they are the basics. For instance, the graphics help children tell stories about that are happening around us. They can draw; it is the simplest way for a child to create something.
“We should go beyond using technology. We are so used to using it; however, no matter how small our children are they can create something. For instance, the BringBackOurGirls protests, we turned it into story telling graphics and likened it to a rat trapped in a house. Anybody who views it feels touched and tells why everybody should be concerned about the security situation in our country,” Alade-Omoekpen noted.
She said the programme will not thrive without sponsors hence they are open to sponsorship, adding that the summer programme will also involve children at their different homes and locations.
She also lamented that lack of internet access is a foreseen impediment which prompted why they want to partner with willing private schools to bring the platform closer to the students, while public schools are not excluded.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has warned local investors and foreign businesses about the activities of fraudsters falsely claiming to represent the company.
The state-owned company said the impostors are reportedly soliciting illegal fees under the guise of arranging meetings with the new NNPC board members, executives, and management.
The disclaimer comes following the change of the NNPCL board.
On April 2, 2025, President Bola Tinubu appointed a new 11-member board with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) and Ahmadu Musa Kidano as executive chairman.
In a statement signed on Monday by Olufemi Soneye, chief corporate communications officer, NNPC, t said the practice of soliciting fees is completely unauthorised and unlawful.
NNPCL said, “The general public is advised to beware of individuals and companies falsely claiming to represent NNPC Limited.
” Their tactics include soliciting fees for meetings with the NNPC board of directors, executives, and management staff. These actions are unauthorised and illegal.
“Foreign investors and international business entities are especially urged to remain cautious. If approached, report the incident to the appropriate authorities immediately.”
The company clarified that engagements with its boards or executives must follow official channels in line with company policy.
The oil giant said, “All legitimate engagements with NNPC Limited occur strictly through official channels or business units only.
“For further enquiries, please contact us at contactus@nnpcgroup.com.
“NNPC Limited remains committed to transparency, integrity, and the protection of our stakeholders in all interactions.”
The company called for public cooperation to prevent scammers from defrauding investors.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) has announced that plans to support the country’s farmers with its AgriConnect initiative have kicked off with a pilot scheme launched in Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria.
Dr ‘Bosun Tijani, minister, communications, Innovation and Digital Economy,
Dr ‘Bosun Tijani, minister, communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, last week launched the initiative at the Ogum State Cultural Centre Complex. AgriConnect is described as a transformative programme designed to digitally empower Nigerian farmers through real-time access to agronomic services, weather insights, financial tools and market intelligence.
The pilot scheme is being implemented in partnership with technology vendor Huawei Technologies and operator MTN Nigeria.
AgriConnect will initially benefit over 1,000 farmers, selected from the Ogun State Farmers Information Management System (OGFIMS), with over 160,000 registered farmers.
Each beneficiary will receive mobile-data-enabled smart devices, embedded with Huawei’s AI-powered tools and MTN-supported connectivity to enable smarter planting, better risk mitigation and streamlined communication with government data centres.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Tijani noted that AgriConnect highlighted the importance of food security. Referring to a target of cultivating 500,000 hectares of land, he pointed out that innovation would be an important part of the effort.
As the government builds out the framework from this pilot in Ogun State (a leader in cassava production), he said, it aims to scale the AgriConnect model across other states – “ensuring that every farmer, regardless of geography, has the opportunity to benefit from the digital economy”, as he put it.
The AgriConnect initiative reflects an FMCIDE commitment under the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda to promote rural inclusion and leverage Nigeria’s comparative advantage in agriculture.
By fusing AI, connectivity, and human-centred design, the ministry says that AgriConnect stands as a scalable model for advancing food security, driving innovation, and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers across the country.
Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has extended its heartfelt congratulations to Steve Babaeko and the entire X3M Ideas team following their remarkable achievement of being ranked 31st on the Financial Times’ prestigious 2025 list of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies.
This recognition by the Financial Times, in collaboration with global research firm Statista, highlights X3M Ideas’ outstanding performance and resilience in a highly competitive and challenging business landscape.
The agency’s ranking was determined based on its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2023, verified through independently certified financial data, underscoring the credibility and transparency of the accolade.
Founded by renowned advertising executive Steve Babaeko, X3M Ideas has consistently demonstrated innovation, operational excellence, and creative leadership. The agency’s bold campaigns and commitment to impactful storytelling have not only elevated its profile in Nigeria but have also established its presence across several African markets.
This milestone marks a significant moment for Nigeria’s creative sector, traditionally overshadowed by industries such as fintech and energy in continental rankings.
AAAN President, Lanre Adisa, in a statement, congratulated Babaeko and X3M Ideas on the remarkable recognition. He said: “Steve’s tenure as AAAN President was quite revolutionary. He raised the bar for our association and industry at large. His leadership brought bold ideas to life, executed with brilliance and a deep sense of purpose for the creative community.
“This global acknowledgment is a testament to his enduring impact, not just as a creative force but as a trailblazer on the African continent.”
The Financial Times’ 2025 list features 130 top-performing companies from across Africa, with Nigeria and South Africa accounting for a significant share, reflecting the economic strength and entrepreneurial spirit of the continent’s largest economies.
X3M Ideas’ recognition not only celebrates its own growth but also signals the rising influence of the creative economy in shaping Africa’s future.
This latest accolade adds to a string of recent achievements for X3M Ideas, including being named Independent Network of the Year at the 2025 Pitcher Awards, further cementing the agency’s status as a leader in African creativity and innovation.
AAAN commends Steve Babaeko and the entire X3M Ideas team for their outstanding contribution to the industry and for flying the flag of Nigerian creativity high on the global stage.
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