Sidmach backs SCCI computer ‘Hands-On’ experience for pupils

Schools Computer Club Initiative’s (SCCI) bid to build up student/pupil experts as the workforce of future advancement for tomorrow’s information and computer technology, has received Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited’s support.

The Initiative seeks to ensure school pupils’ acquisition of computer skills, exposure to a real IT world through seminar, workshops, and exhibitions.

Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek while leading students on tour of Sidmach’s software lab, as part of activities to mark SCCI’s tenth anniversary, Mr. Adesina Adewale, the president, said that they are keen to ‘impose’ professional responsibilities on school IT team leaders, build self-esteem for members, and motivate young growing children to embrace the appropriate use of the computer.

Adewale said that the big picture behind SCCI was to develop technology innovators ‘Technnovators’ who will eventually become technology entrepreneurs, developing solutions to solve the nation’s multifaceted challenges.

He said, “We hear about the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, and other technnovators who today are big entrepreneurs. Today, Microsoft, for example has become a household name world over; people are using the products of Microsoft daily, ranging from the development of animation, games, office allocation to the point of using thee cloud.

“It is part of reasons we brought the students on tour of Sidmach Technologies. So, we are passionate about ‘catching them young’, right from primary and secondary schools, such that on graduation they don’t keep hoping on a non-existing white collar job. They are been positioned to develop the entrepreneurial mindset.

Adewale added that SCCI’s activities in the last 10 years were mainly on developing students in primary and secondary schools to the point many of them are interested in taking up careers in IT. “We have some who have passed through Sidmach Technologies either during industrial training/ attachment or internship programmes. We have some of them who can develop games, others- animations; we have others who can develop browsers and other solutions that can meet the need of the society.

“Following our activities in the last 10 years, we are hopeful that technnovators and techpreneurs will be developed from these students. Invariably, we are reducing the problem of unemployment in the country. We are hopeful that these students will be able to meet the needs of our communities,” he added.

Mr. Jide Awe, chairman, Conferences at the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), also told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that Sidmach’s gesture by receiving the students for a hands-on experience on software development was commendable.

According to Awe, “With programmes like this, you are building the future of the youths. We are already in a knowledge-led economy showing more digital processes. We don’t want to continue as consumers, therefore, we must train our children on 21st Century skills- programming, application development, so they will not be disadvantaged. Already, a lot of countries (developed) are ahead of us.

“Thank God some of the kids have access to the resources they can use; what we now need are initiatives as Schools Computer Club Initiative (SCCI) to provide guidance. The essence is to ensure the students do no use those things for wasteful ventures”, he said.

Olayemi Oladiran, head, Sales & Marketing, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, while addressing the students, pledged the Company’s continued support for programmes capable of expanding the country’s horizons in the IT space.

“We are happy having the kids in our Company. I was quite impressed to see them, at the young age, they are already coding. It gives me the confidence the next generation will do better than we have done.

“We don’t mind any one of them working for Sidmach. Obviously, we have a standard and of course it is going to be the best that will take in it. For those that have the vision, I will encourage them to work hard to excel in what they do. Importantly, they should not have employee mentality. Rather a mentality that can tell them- look I can develop a prototype software solution that I can take to the market. So, they should not limit themselves”, he added.