The Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) has trained 16 girls aged between 11 and 17 in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as part of efforts to bridge the digital gender gap in Kwara State.

The beneficiaries participated in the one-week W.TEC She Creates Camp 2026, which was designed to equip secondary school girls with technology skills and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the camp in Ilorin, the Programme Officer and State Coordinator of W.TEC, Mrs Kawthar Ibiyeye, said the initiative was aimed at building the participants' intelligence, confidence and technological abilities.

She said the programme also encouraged the girls to develop leadership qualities and see themselves as future leaders in the creative and technology space.

Ibiyeye explained that the focus on girls was necessary because females remained less represented in the technology sector compared with males.

"The reason why we are focusing our efforts on girls is the fact that when it comes to the future of technology, we noticed that the girls tend to shy away a bit, compared to the boys," she said.

She added that W.TEC was working to bridge the gap by exposing girls to technology through programmes such as the She Creates Camp and encouraging them to consider careers in STEM.

Ibiyeye urged the participants to build on the knowledge acquired during the camp, continue developing their skills and apply what they had learnt in their daily lives.

The Executive Director of W.TEC, Mrs Oreoluwa Lesi, said the programme was designed to empower secondary school girls to harness technology and become creators and innovators.

Also speaking, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said the initiative aligned with the state government's vision of developing a knowledge-driven economy powered by innovation and human capital.

Olohungbebe, represented by the ministry's Director of Human Capital Development, Mrs Victoria Ajide, noted that technology was rapidly transforming various sectors of the economy and stressed the importance of equipping young people with relevant skills.

The guest speaker, Mrs Hassanat Bello, urged the participants to use technology responsibly, noting that its value depended largely on how it was applied.

One of the participants, Fatimah Alege, who emerged as the Best Camper, said the programme exposed her to skills and experiences she never imagined she could acquire.

A parent, Mrs Shukura Muhammed, also shared her experience with the impact of the programme, saying her daughter's participation in the 2025 camp had helped her progress to the point of representing Nigeria in an international artificial intelligence and coding programme.

She said the positive experience motivated her to enrol her younger daughter in this year's programme.