Tech Girls Club Calls on Nigerian Schoolgirls to Use AI and Data for Community Solutions

Opening the Ibadan Boot Camp

On Monday, the Tech Girls Club launched the Ibadan edition of its AI/Data Science for Her boot camp, targeting Nigerian schoolgirls.

Dr Ronke Sakpere, the project’s Principal Investigator, opened the event with a call to bridge the STEM opportunity gap for African girls.

She explained that artificial intelligence is fundamentally “using data to help people make smart decisions.”

Sakpere emphasized that many African girls lack sufficient opportunities to showcase their abilities in technical fields.

The boot camp is organized by the Tech Girls Club and financially supported by the Neural Information Processing Systems conference, known as NeurIPS.

Curriculum and Skills Development

Participants will progress from basic digital foundations to advanced topics such as Excel, Python programming, machine learning, classification, prediction, data visualisation and linear regression.

Ms Wonderful Osalor, Project Manager of AI/Data Science for Her, noted that this Ibadan session is the sixth and final edition, following events in Ilorin, Nsukka, Port Harcourt, Yola and Zaria.

She highlighted that the fifth day will feature an innovation challenge where the girls will present solutions they have built for community‑identified problems.

During the challenge, participants will work in groups to apply the skills they have acquired to real‑world issues.

“AI essentially involves using data to help people make smart decisions, with various applications, including navigation and traffic management, among other usages,” Sakpere said.

She added that the programme seeks to expand opportunities for girls in STEM and train them to develop AI‑driven solutions.

Voices Calling for Responsible AI

Pastor Adeola Bamgbose, co‑founder of the Educational Advancement Centre (EAC) and keynote speaker, urged the girls to look beyond certificates.

She said, “Strive to become builders, who uphold integrity and responsible data practices, such as protecting privacy and eliminating algorithmic bias.”

She further warned, “The world does not need more consumers of AI, but women who will build AI with wisdom.”

Dr Muyiwa Bamgbose, founder of EAC, encouraged the participants to maximise the rare educational opportunity.

Dr Wilson Sakpere, lead facilitator, also urged intense collaboration and the building of long‑lasting professional relationships.

The boot camp’s curriculum is designed to give girls hands‑on experience with tools that can translate data into actionable insights.

By learning Python and machine learning, the girls can create predictive models that address local challenges such as traffic congestion.

Data visualisation skills will enable them to communicate findings effectively to stakeholders in their communities.

The emphasis on responsible data practices reflects a growing awareness of algorithmic bias and privacy concerns in AI deployments.

Through the group projects, participants will practice ethical decision‑making while developing functional prototypes.

The final showcase will allow the girls to demonstrate how AI can be harnessed for social good, reinforcing the boot camp’s core mission.

Overall, the initiative aims to empower a new generation of female technologists who can both innovate and uphold ethical standards.

Why This Matters: The boot camp equips Nigerian girls with AI and data skills, directly addressing the continent’s STEM opportunity gap.