November 08, 2023, Abuja: To underscore its commitment to nurture a new generation of digitally literate and innovative young minds, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy has announced its partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, to launch Code Clubs across Nigeria.
Specifically designed for students aged 7 to 17, Code Clubs are a network of extracurricular programming clubs developed to nurture a new generation of digitally literate and innovative young minds in Nigeria.
These clubs, which will initially start from 17 knowledge exchange centres, will further expand to other locations across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The young participants will be introduced to the world of coding and digital technology and be encouraged to deploy creative problem-solving in their everyday lives.
“Our journey towards positioning Nigeria as the go-to market for technical knowledge cannot be achieved without creating a knowledge pipeline that is represented by these young, impressionable minds,” said Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy.
“By joining a global network of free coding clubs supported by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, we are confident that our plan to rapidly grow Nigeria’s digital economy through the deepening of technical knowledge and development of talent is on course.”
As part of this partnership, the Raspberry Pi Foundation will provide comprehensive toolkits, support, and guidelines for educators and young
learners, while the Ministry will facilitate the establishment and operation of the Code Clubs across the country using a partnership model. The partners, who will be made up of individuals, educational institutions and organisations passionate about promoting computing education in their communities will receive support, resources and operational guidelines from a designated central organisation.
Philip Colligan, Chief Executive Officer of the Raspberry Pi Foundation said: “We are excited to be partnering with the Nigerian Government to inspire the next generation of digital makers. Code Clubs are a fantastic way to give young people the opportunity to get creative with computers and digital technologies, opening up a world of possibilities.”
The learning paths to be provided for Code Club partners will cover a broad spectrum of coding and technology-related subjects including Introduction to Coding, Basic Concepts, Game Development, Web Development, Programming Languages, Algorithms and Problem Solving, Robotics and Electronics, and Project-Based Learning.
The partnership between the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy and the Raspberry Pi Foundation to establish Code Clubs for kids represents a significant and forward-thinking initiative aimed at preparing the younger generation of Nigeria for a digital and technologically advanced future.
About the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy: The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy harnesses the transformative power of digital technology and innovation to diversify and deepen Nigeria’s economy. The Ministry’s mandate is
to accelerate the diversification of the economy by enhancing productivity in critical sectors through technological innovation. For more information, please email Osibo Imhoitsike at comms@commtech.gov.ng
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK-based computing education charity with the mission to enable young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies.
Our vision is that every young person develops the knowledge, skills, and confidence to use digital technologies effectively, and to be able to critically evaluate these technologies and confidently engage with technological change.
We work to enable any school to teach students about computing and how to create with digital technologies, through providing the best possible curriculum, resources, and training for teachers; to engage millions of young people in learning about computing and how to create with digital technologies outside of school, through online resources and apps, clubs, competitions, and partnerships with youth organisations; and to deepen our understanding of how young people learn about computing and how to create with digital technologies, and to use that knowledge to increase the impact of our work and advance the field of computing education.