Esther Olabiyi had used phones and laptops before, but until she joined the AI/Data Science for Her 2026 programme, she didn’t know she could write code that tells a computer what to do. A high school senior at Ibadan Grammar School, Esther was one of 300 Nigerian girls across six regions who spent five days learning Python, data analysis, and how to use technology as a tool for creation — not just consumption. The programme, run by Tech Girls Club with support from the NeurIPS Foundation’s Bridging the Future grant, offered hands-on training in artificial intelligence and data science, fields where young women in Nigeria are often underrepresented.
In Nigeria, only about 22 per cent of STEM graduates are women, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Globally, UNESCO reports that while more women enroll in higher education than men, they make up just 35 per cent of STEM graduates. The gap isn’t about ability — it’s about access, exposure, and teaching methods that often focus on memorization instead of practice. Many of the girls in the programme came from schools without working computers. For some, this was their first time typing on a keyboard or finding the “@” symbol. By the end of the week, they were writing lines of Python code.
The training rolled out in Ilorin, Yola, Port Harcourt, Zaria, Nsukka, and Ibadan, reaching girls from diverse backgrounds but with one thing in common: curiosity. Wonderful Osalor, the project manager, said the key wasn’t assuming prior knowledge, but starting from the basics and moving at a pace that included everyone. “Once you give them the right knowledge, tools, exposure and experience, any girl can excel in technology and science,” she said. That belief shaped the curriculum — patient, practical, and rooted in real-world applications.
But learning doesn’t stop after five days. Dr Wilson Sakpere, lead facilitator, pointed out a hard truth: many girls would return to schools without computers or internet, making it hard to keep building their skills. Some already asked if they could learn coding through mobile apps. He stressed that short-term exposure must be matched with long-term investment in school infrastructure. Dr Aderonke Sakpere, the programme’s principal investigator, added that teaching itself needs to change — less rote learning, more doing. “Education should move away from excessive emphasis on memorisation and connect theoretical concepts with everyday experiences,” she said.
The AI/Data Science for Her 2026 programme didn’t solve all these challenges overnight. But it planted seeds. And for girls like Esther, who now sees herself as someone who belongs in tech, those seeds could grow into careers, innovations, and new pathways for thousands more.