Spotlight  

Nigerian Kids Talk Tech

By Priscilla Emokpaire

17 January 2021   |   2:11 pm

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram

The world has evolved into a global village, making its inhabitants try and catch up with it. Nigeria amidst the change is still behind schedule. Meeting Taiyemise and Samuel will give you a rude awakening, they were paned through the questions with responses like adults. Their replies and composure were not expected of kids their…

The world has evolved into a global village, making its inhabitants try and catch up with it. Nigeria amidst the change is still behind schedule.

Meeting Taiyemise and Samuel will give you a rude awakening, they were paned through the questions with responses like adults.

Their replies and composure were not expected of kids their age and their confidence in their choices and personalities outweigh reasoning, but you will always meet outliers.

Interestingly, some Nigerian schools in a bid to meet up with international standards have introduced Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes into the curriculum.

Although schools are on lockdown with the advent of the pandemic, some parents saw an opportunity to brace their kids up for the future by signing up for virtual stem classes. Two of these lucky children are Taiyemise and Daniel.

The Guardian Life sits down with two technological-savvy children, to see the way forward.

Let us know you?
O: Onioluwa Taiyemise Mercy, I am 9 years old. I am in basic 5 and I am from Osun state.
S: My name is Samuel Olukoremiwa. I am in SS2, I am 14(fourteen )years of age, I am an indigene of Ogun state, Abeokuta to be precise.

What area of Computing do you like (Game development/ Coding/ Web design/ A.I ). Do you have any projects you would like to tell us about?
O: Web design, not yet.
D: Web design, I am creating a website for a company named ‘Qc advance’ they loan people money with a 25% discount.

What do you think the government can improve on to make technology more accessible to children like you?
O: They have to improve the light sector so that there will be power to power our gadgets. They should also create programs for kids to learn more about technology.
S: Reducing the fee of data charges and electricity.

The youngest programmer in the world is 7, while that of Nigeria is 10. Why do you think children in the western world seem to be ahead of their counterparts in Nigeria and Africa at large?
O: Children there are exposed to many basic things, they are not smarter than us. It is only the environment that differs.
S: Exposure to technology and the internet at large.

What problems do you think you can solve with your knowledge of computing?
O: I think I can solve marketing and communication problems by creating websites where people will be to sell their products like and communication problems set up classes email, data subscription respectively.
S: The problem of technological unawareness.

If you were giving the opportunity to go further in the area (Game development/ Coding/ Web design/ A.I), would you?
O: I will definitely want to go.
S: Yes, I would.

What gave you an interest in technology?
O: I attended a virtual coding class held during the pandemic.
S: Basically, I gave myself when I got to know about it, I started watching YouTube videos to improve myself.

What would you do differently than your parents when you have your kids?
O: I will train my children the way I am raised and not express my disappointment when they make mistakes or do not know some things. I will train them the African way and through the African culture and also try as much as to expose them to technology early and educate them on the good and bad sides.
S: I will make them more technologically aware.