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• remain curious, confident and courageous, First Lady urges
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Winners from Bauchi, Cross River and Abia stood out Friday as Nigeria celebrated the ingenuity of its young female technologists at the Third National Girls in ICT Competition 2026 awards night organised by Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Special Education Centre, Bauchi, was crowned overall champion for its assistive-technology project “Hands That Speak,” which showcases inclusive design for people with communication disabilities. Federal Government Girls’ College, Cross River, took second place with a project that impressed judges for its practical application, while Resonance Science School, Abia, claimed third.
The six finalist teams — all regional champions selected from more than 3,700 participants — each received N1 million, high-performance laptops and mentorship packages designed as long-term investments in talent and capacity-building. Organisers said follow-up support will help winners scale their solutions.
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, speaking at the dinner, urged the winners and all participating girls to “remain curious, confident and courageous,” and to continue using technology to solve problems and uplift communities.
She praised the finalists’ projects, which ranged from smart fish-pond monitoring and AI farm-protection systems to platforms supporting deaf patients and apps for children with autism.
“My charge to you is to remain curious, confident, and courageous. Never underestimate your inquisitiveness — the power of your ideas. Continue to learn, create, and use technology not only to solve problems but also to uplift others,” she said.
The First Lady linked the initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting the administration’s emphasis on youth empowerment, digital innovation and human-capital development. She also welcomed the launch of Code Clubs and the distribution of club kits as strategic investments in Nigeria’s future innovators.
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Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani told the audience that talent exists across every part of Nigeria and must be matched by opportunity. He outlined administration efforts to expand digital infrastructure and technical training — including Project BRIDGE, a Universal Service Provision Fund expansion, a Three Million Technical Talent programme, and the National AI Strategy — while warning that these investments will fall short if girls and women are left behind.
“None of these investments will achieve their full potential if half of our population is left behind,” he said. “The future digital economy cannot be built by half of Nigeria. It must be built by all of Nigeria.”
Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad described the programme as a direct investment in the country’s future workforce, charging the girls to move from using technology to creating it and driving innovation.
The event featured presentations by the finalist teams on solutions tackling agriculture, healthcare, accessibility and education. The full ranking: Special Education Centre, Bauchi (1st); Federal Government Girls’ College, Cross River (2nd); Resonance Science School, Abia (3rd); Sweet Heaven High School, Kano (4th); Government Science Secondary School, Abuja (5th); Kidvarc High School, Osun (6th).
International and national partners — including the International Telecommunication Union, whose Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin sent a video message, NIGCOMSAT and the Nigerian Postal Service — lauded the finalists and pledged continued support.
Organisers said Code Club kits (Raspberry Pi computers, robotics kits and teacher-training resources) will be rolled out to all 36 states and the FCT in coming weeks to deepen digital learning.
