The Kwara State Government, on Monday, commenced a free summer coding class for students of public secondary schools across the state.

According to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Special Assistant on Digital Innovation, Kayode Ishola, the summer coding class is to equip students with digital skills to be able to compete with their global counterparts.

A statement by the governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Moshood Agboola, said the programme was designed to run for six weeks and would hold across six centres in the three senatorial districts of the state, with students between ages 11 and 15 as participants.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, Ilorin, Ishola said the state government was encouraging mass digital literacy among the youth so that they would not be left behind in the digital age.

“The government understands that for the students to have a competitive edge globally, they need to have digital skills, especially now that external exams like JAMB, WASSCE and NECO are now computer-based

“The programme will be run for six weeks. The first two weeks will focus on the introduction to digital literacy, particularly for kids that do not have much background in hands-on use of the computers, while the remaining period will be used for coding and other digital skills,” Ishola said.

PUNCH