In a bid to upskill tertiary school educators on Artificial intelligence (AI), the future of learning and further enhance the Nigerian education system, Softcom Limited, a leading IT company that specializes in building software, products and programs that connect people and businesses, recently hosted an AI and Python Programming masterclass for computer science teachers.
During the masterclass held at the University of Lagos, which was aimed at equipping teachers with the requisite skills and knowledge to transfer to their students, the company also distributed 250 free copies of AI textbooks to primary and secondary schools in Lagos, as each teacher received a free copy of the recently launched AI textbook by Data Science Nigeria, for use in their respective schools.
According to Seindemi Olobayo, the chief solutions officer, Softcom Limited, the company is very passionate about education because it is through education that we can drive change in Nigeria.
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“To address the challenges in the education sector, we are doing some research around basic education and the possibilities of broad access. We also have the Teachers’ Learning Network where we systematically upskill teachers. We are therefore excited to partner with Data Science Nigeria on this book distribution to various schools across Nigeria,” he said.
It would be recalled that last month, Data Science Nigeria (DSN), in partnership with Softcom, published and launched the first AI textbook for primary and secondary schools.
Olalekan Akinsande, technical delivery lead, Data Science Nigeria said; “we are committed to building 1 million Artificial Intelligence talents in 10 years from Nigeria and this masterclass is one of our platforms to realise this vision. We are thankful to our partners, Softcom for making this happen.”
During the masterclass, participants were taken through the impact and use cases of AI, alternative channels to learn Python using devices besides a laptop, deep dive into Python programming and introduction to machine learning and deep learning.
Participants in the masterclass expressed their excitement and appreciation to the organisers. Adebowale Adetoun, ICT and data processing teacher, At-Tanzeel Schools, Ikorodu, one of the participants, described the masterclass as informative, educative and interesting.
Okoedoh Abraham, a private educator, said: “I am particularly excited about the tools explored – Python in particular. Being able to access Python for free is of advantage to low income countries like Nigeria, and I look forward to implementing a data science and AI curriculum in the schools that we partner with.”
Softcom also used this platform to highlight the challenges in the education space and how the company seeks to address these issues utilising technology. With Nigeria’s population rapidly growing year after year, it is necessary for education to scale at a similar pace.
