Stakeholders Urge Federal Govt To Prioritise Robotics, AI For Economic Devt

Tech industry leaders have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to place a strong focus on investing in robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive economic growth in the nation.

This call was made during a tech and career expo organised by Afrelab in Abuja yesterday, where the emphasis was on promoting collaborative problem-solving through technology among young learners.

The event also aimed to equip children with the necessary knowledge to navigate the rapidly advancing AI landscape.

The expo gathered around 150 students, grouped into 16 teams from various schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These teams competed to create exceptional solutions to real-world challenges.

Co-founder of Afrelab Academy, Joseph Kolawole Ajuwon, applauded the students for their innovative problem-solving ideas.

He also urged the government to lend its support to these young minds in pursuing their dreams.

He said, “The students’ projects covered a wide array of topics, including enhancing the healthcare system through improved diagnosis and prescription methods, reducing noise pollution in urban areas, and addressing various environmental concerns.

“While the complete realisation of these solutions may take time, the children’s remarkable progress within just two months was highlighted as a positive step toward their manifestation.

“So, for us, it is to continue to encourage them because that is really how huge companies grow to begin to become global corporations, by the small ideas that the environment around them decided to nurture then so we have to support them.

“The government always has a role to play because the government or the guidance or the guide to the whole nation, they need to put the infrastructure in place. They need to put the support mechanisms in place they need to also support these children, and the government is doing it to various shapes and various sizes.

“But part of what we need to showcase to all of society, including the government today, is to look at what things these children have done with very little resources, what they’ve been able to achieve?”

On her part, the director of Operations and Programmes, Afrelab Academy said: “We know that a lot is changing about the future of work and it is really important that children are not just waiting on the government or waiting on their parents or waiting on people to support them after school and when they are adults.

“So, for us, it’s important that students and learners are empowered to be able to survive and to be able to thrive in the future of work, and these skills are now the skills most employers look out for.

“Most employers are looking for people who can solve problems. They’re looking for people who can think critically, they’re looking for people who can maximize technology to improve on the outcome of their organisations. So, beyond the normal Maths, English, and all of that we know that these children need skills that they can use to become independent in the near future.”

At the end of the competition, Great Heights Academy came first, clinching the cash prize of one million Naira, while the second position, Olumawu School, clinched the cash prize of N500,000, and the third runner-up, Olumawu Basics, got N300, 000.