Air Force Officers' Wives To Expose 1m Nigerian Children To Coding, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence

The Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA) has graduated the second cohort of participants in its Young Achievers Club Coding, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summer Class, following five days of hands-on learning, experimentation and project development in Abuja.

The programme, held recently at NAFOWA Secondary School, Abuja, was organised in partnership with TechSpace Innovators, an Edtech organisation focused on expanding access to coding, robotics, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies among young people.

The programme formed part of Project 1M Kids, TechSpace Innovators’ broader initiative to expose one million Nigerian children to coding, robotics and artificial intelligence. The initiative is built around creating opportunities for young people to learn, experiment and develop technology-based solutions to real-world problems.

A total of 95 young people, comprising 45 males and 50 females, participated in the five-day programme. The participants, aged 12-21, came from different educational backgrounds, bringing varying levels of exposure to technology into the learning environment.

Rather than focusing solely on classroom instruction, the programme adopted a practical, project-based approach. Participants were introduced to programming fundamentals, computational thinking, microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, and robotics, as well as foundational concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Using micro: bit and CreateAI, participants explored areas including data collection, data refinement, estimation and prediction, before applying their knowledge to develop solutions to practical challenges.

The training culminated in the development and presentation of eight team-based projects: Flood Protection System, Gesture Bot, Smart Irrigation System, Smart Solar Street Light, Automatic Stick for the Blind, Automatic Gate, Smart Dust Bin, and Gesture Recognition System for Persons with Disabilities.

The project showcase provided an opportunity for the young innovators to demonstrate not only what they had learnt, but how they could apply technology to problems around them.

The closing ceremony was attended by the President of NAFOWA, Mrs Ngozi Aneke, who interacted with the participants as they presented their projects and explained the ideas behind their creations.

The presentations offered a glimpse into the creativity and problem-solving abilities of the participants, with the young innovators confidently explaining how their projects were designed to respond to everyday challenges.

For TechSpace Innovators, the experience reflects the thinking behind Project 1M Kids, that meaningful technology education should go beyond teaching young people how to use technology and create opportunities for them to build with it.

Speaking on the programme, Sesugh Gabriel Abenga, founder of TechSpace Innovators, said the larger vision was to ensure that access to technology education reaches more young people across Nigeria.

“Project 1M Kids is built around a simple idea: every child should have the opportunity to discover that they can use technology to create, solve problems and improve the world around them.”

He added that partnerships with organisations and institutions provide an important pathway for taking practical technology education to more young people and communities.

For the organisers, one of the clearest outcomes was the participants’ willingness to learn, collaborate, and continue exploring beyond the classroom.

The successful completion of the second cohort represents another step in NAFOWA’s efforts to provide young members of the Air Force family with opportunities to develop critical skills, foster creativity and innovation, and become confident problem-solvers who can make meaningful contributions to society. It also reflects the Association’s commitment to creating opportunities that support and empower the children of personnel who dedicate themselves to serving the nation.

For TechSpace Innovators, the programme represents another practical step toward its larger Project 1M Kids vision: reaching one million Nigerian children with opportunities to learn, build and innovate with technology.