No fewer than 90 students in Lagos State have been given training on artificial intelligence and other technology skills through the Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Sifax Group.
The training which was carried out in partnership with the World Bank were drawn from Senior Secondary School, Oyewole, Agege in Orile Agege Local Government Area, Lagos State.
Sifax in a statement signed by its
Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Olumuyiwa Akande
disclosed that the training was part of its series of ongoing community connections campaign projects in Nigeria.
According to the statement which was made available to Maritime Bits, the training was aimed at empowering students with practical technology skills to help them improve their education, secure jobs, and become self-employed in the long term. It covered various areas including computer literacy, machine learning, and the use of artificial intelligence.
The beneficiaries for the training were selected from different classes across the school with the hope that they would be able to transfer the skills acquired to their colleagues.
The Executive Coordinator of AAAF, Mrs. Foluke Ademokun said: “This initiative is part of a series of efforts to address the issue of youth unemployment and skills gap in the country and it is expected to benefit not only the students but also the community at large, as the students would be able to apply the skills acquired to improve their lives and contribute to the economic development of their communities”
The Vice Principal of the school, Mrs. Sherifat Ajala responding on behalf of the school management, expressed appreciation to AAAF for facilitating the initiative.
She also commended AAAF for the opportunity given to the students to interact with the best minds who were facilitators at the training.
“On behalf of the school management and all these students, I want to say a big thank you to Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation and their sponsor, the Sifax Group for the good works that they have done in the lives of our students and for the wonderful gift. May the Lord Almighty continue to bless you”, she added.
Two of the students who participated in the training, Goodluck Innocent and Moses Faith were rewarded for good class participation.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, they expressed gratitude to AAAF and Sifax Group for providing them with the opportunity to acquire skills that would enhance their future employability.
At the end of the training session, the school was presented with the gift of a projector, laptop and projector screen as it is always done in the previous schools where similar programmes have been organised.
Other schools who have benefited from the foundation previous empowerments include Community Grammar School, Zion Pepe, Ondo State; Osolu Senior Secondary School, Badagry; Pobuna Senior Grammar School, Epe, Lagos State and Baptist Model College, Ile-Epo, Lagos State.
Others are Ijaiye-Ojokoro Senior High School, Ifako ijaiye, Lagos State and Unity Senior College, Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State.
Maritime Bits checks revealed that about 600 students have so far been empowered by the foundation since it kicked off the initiative some years ago.
