STEM careers not exclusive for boys, UN tasks female students

The Director of United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Abuja, Ronald Kayanja, has urged female students and young women to aspire and acquire skills for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), saying these are not exclusive careers and professions for boys only. “You must change the gender- based stereotypes that society has ascribed to certain profes- sions and careers, especially those in STEM. You can only do this if you aspire and work hard in your studies and develop pas- sion for ICT,” Kayanja said. He stated this while address- ing schoolgirls during the 2023 International Girls in ICT Day, organised by UNIC in collaboration with Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.Tec) and Tek Experts, which took place at the UN House in Abuja. The theme of this year’s Inter- national Girls in ICT Day, cele- brated every fourth Thursday of April, is “Digital Skills for Life.”

Kayanja, who was represented by UNIC National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun, recalled that the United Nations International Telecommunica- tion Union (ITU) had estimated a skills shortfall of over two mil- lion jobs in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector within the next five years, and therefore he charged schoolgirls and young women to acquire ICT skills in order to be well-placed for successful careers in the sector. He further explained that UNIC and partners were working to inspire and encourage girls to pursue a future in ICT and to empower them by ensuring that they have the necessary skills, confidence and support to achieve their goals. The keynote speaker and Founder/CEO of NextWear Tech Hub, Mrs. Kemisola Bolarinwa, charged the school girls to always remember that they are the future of ICT, saying: “We have the power to shape the future, to create new possibilities, and to transform the world through technology.” She, however, identified four important digital skills that students should learn, and listed these to include Digital Litera- cy; Cybersecurity; Coding and Programming: as well as Digital Communication.

“By acquiring these skills, we can become more successful in our academic, personal and professional lives,” Mrs. Bolarinwa reiterated, and urged the participants to embrace the digital age as well as to take advantage of the opportunities it offered. The Assistant Director of Bilateral and International Re- lations at the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), Mary Ajibola, disclosed that the man- agement of SEB was unrelenting in promoting and encouraging girls to pursue their studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This was as she lauded the UN Information Centre and their partners for organising the event and extending invitation to three schools in FCT to participate.