First Lady Urges Girls to Lead Nigeria’s Digital Future

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on young girls across the country to take the lead in shaping Nigeria’s digital future, urging them to remain curious, confident, and courageous as the nation accelerates its push toward a knowledge-driven economy.

She made the call at a dinner ceremony organized by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to honour winners of the 3rd edition of the National Girls in ICT competition, which brought together hundreds of young innovators from across Nigeria.

According to her, more than 3,700 girls participated in this year’s programme through competitions, boot camps, mentorship sessions, and innovation challenges across the six geopolitical zones. From this pool, 111 emerged as regional winners, with six finalist teams eventually selected for the final stage of the competition.

The First Lady praised the creativity of the participants, noting that their projects demonstrated how information and communication technology can be applied to solve real-life problems in agriculture, healthcare, education, and inclusive development.

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Among the innovations showcased were AI-powered farm protection systems, smart fish pond monitoring solutions, and assistive technologies designed to support deaf patients and children with autism.

She said the achievements reflect the success of ongoing efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which prioritises youth empowerment, digital innovation, education, and economic inclusion.

“I am very proud of your achievements and congratulate you all,” she said, adding that programmes like the Girls in ICT initiative are strategic investments in Nigeria’s future innovators and tech leaders.

She also applauded the introduction of Code Clubs in schools, describing them as a step toward strengthening digital literacy and innovation at the grassroots level.

“Remain curious, confident, and courageous. Never underestimate the power of your ideas,” she told the finalists. “Your dreams are valid, your potential is limitless, and the future of innovation can proudly bear your imprint.”

The competition was won by Special Education Centre, Bauchi, whose project “Hands That Speak” clinched the top prize. The team’s solution, which focuses on assistive communication technology, emerged ahead of five other finalists.

Other winners included Federal Government Girls’ College, Cross River (2nd), Resonance Science School, Abia (3rd), Sweet Heaven High School, Kano (4th), Government Science Secondary School, Abuja (5th), and Kidvarc High School, Osun (6th).

Each finalist team received ₦1 million, laptops, and mentorship opportunities aimed at supporting further development of their projects.

Earlier, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, described the programme as part of Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda, stressing that talent development would determine the country’s global competitiveness.

He said initiatives such as Project BRIDGE, the Universal Service Provision Fund, the 3 Million Technical Talent programme, and a national Artificial Intelligence strategy are being implemented to expand digital infrastructure and skills across the country.

“The future we’re stepping into is one where countries will compete mainly for talent,” he said, adding that Nigeria’s greatest resource lies in the creativity and intelligence of its young people.

He further noted that the government’s ambition to create digital jobs will only succeed if girls and women are fully included in the emerging digital economy.

Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, also praised the collaboration between ministries, describing the initiative as a long-term investment in human capital development.

Other stakeholders, including the Postmaster-General, Tola Odeyemi, and the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen, reaffirmed the importance of inclusive digital development across all regions of the country.

The event concluded with celebrations of innovation, cultural presentations, and recognition of young girls whose projects are increasingly positioning them as future leaders in Nigeria’s digital economy.