The Special Assistant on Digital Innovation to the Governor, Ishola Kayode, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday in Ilorin.

He stated that the Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Programme, which is the state's flagship technology initiative, has reached all 16 local government areas. The trainees comprise 2,604 male students (46.5%) and 2,999 female students (53.5%), showing a higher participation rate among girls.

Kayode emphasized the program's strategic importance: "We are consolidating the vision of His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to build a digitally skilled youth population and make Kwara the innovation capital of North Central Nigeria."

He explained that by senatorial distribution, Kwara South had the highest participation with 2,186 students (39%), followed by Kwara Central with 2,095 (37.4%), and Kwara North with 1,322 (23.6%). Ilorin West LGA topped the chart with 829 students, while Ekiti LGA recorded the lowest with 173 participants.

Kayode added that the 2025 Summer Edition of the programme, held across 28 centres during the third-term holiday, engaged nearly 800 students.

He also said that monthly "Train the Trainers" sessions were ongoing to enhance teachers' capacity in digital instruction.

Highlighting the impact of the programme, the governor's aide said Kwara students performed impressively at the National Kids Innovation Challenge, where two teams, Igbaja AgricTech Mini and Virtual Bot Doctor, made it to the finals.

"Igbaja AgricTech Mini developed a digital tool that provides farmers with market information, weather updates, and planting insights, and the team emerged among the top three winners nationwide," he said.

He noted that the achievement reflects Kwara's commitment to practical digital education, where students are developing real-world solutions to challenges like food security and climate resilience.

Kayode further disclosed that the digital innovation office has facilitated several collaborations, including a partnership with the Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) to train young girls in tech, and strategic talks with Zinox Technologies Ltd. on digital infrastructure expansion.

Other interventions, he said, include support for the Federal Government's Project 774 through the provision of internet access in seven local government areas, and the launch of the Kwara Digital Pulse Series, an online platform that has reached over 1,600 participants in four months.

Looking ahead, Kayode announced that the state would host the Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Exhibition on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, where innovative student projects will be showcased.

"The exhibition will highlight success stories from our digital literacy programme and reaffirm Kwara's position as the largest subnational implementer of a digital skills initiative in Nigeria," he said.

He commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his sustained investment in ICT and human capital development, which, according to him, is "giving Kwara a competitive edge in innovation and digital readiness."

"These investments are transforming Kwara into a true ICT powerhouse," he added.

Similarly, PUNCH Online reports on October 14, 2025, that the Lagos State Government commenced a free Software Quality Assurance training for 600 students and fresh graduates, as part of efforts to empower young people with relevant digital skills for the future of work.

The training is held concurrently at three centres – Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu; Lagos State University of Education, Otto/Ijanikin; and Lagos State College of Health Technology, Yaba. The programme, which began on October 11, is running for three consecutive Saturdays