By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its annual Ecobank Day activities, a flagship social initiative spearheaded by the Ecobank Foundation that encourages employees to give back to their communities, Ecobank Nigeria has partnered with Opolo Global to deliver training and empowerment to schools in Lagos.
These training and mentoring initiatives align with the second year of Ecobank’s three-year campaign, Transforming Africa Through Education, and support the African Union’s declaration of 2024 as the Year of Education, themed Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century, emphasising the need to integrate technology into foundational education.
Since its launch in 2013, Ecobank Day has initiated crucial interventions and supported various social causes, including education for youth in Africa, malaria prevention, improving ICT in schools, and promoting financial literacy, among others.
For this year, the emphasis is on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the reason for the theme Ignite Learning with AI, aimed to focus on foundational learning and harnessing the technology to improve children’s literacy, numeracy, and digital skills, particularly at Zion Star School in Lagos.
The Head of Product Development and Lagos Operations at Opolo Global, Mr Oluwafemi Ajayi, praised Ecobank for its initiative to educate students about AI and robotics, which are vital for the future.
He highlighted that this training equips children to navigate the digital age and underscores the transformative potential of AI in education, business efficiency, and decision-making.
“We will expand this initiative to several schools across the state, especially those located far from the city centre and serving a higher number of underprivileged students,” he stated.
Ecobank, in its reaction, said, “Equipping Nigerian children with essential literacy, numeracy, and digital skills at an early age is crucial for their future. It enables them to excel academically, prepares them for a rapidly changing digital landscape, and broadens their opportunities in life and employment.”
“Ecobank Day activities involved our employees volunteering in various communities across Nigeria, offering literacy lessons, mentoring, and collaborating with schools to enhance digital resources. We extend our gratitude to our partner, Opolo Global, for helping make this day impactful for Nigerian children,” it added.