…As Anglican Bishop plans to build centre for robotics and coding
The Diocese of Nnewi, Anglican Communion, is set to open a Centre for Coding and Robotics to provide opportunity to the children in the diocese to be in tune with the 21st Century digital revolution, the Bishop, Rt. Rev. Ndubuisi Obi has announced.
In line with its objective, the church in partnership with Edufun Technik STEM Center, has organised a training workshop for the children on Coding and Robotics which was held at the Anglican Girls Secondary School Nnewi, with plans to extend it to 16 major secondary schools in the Diocese.
Obi said that the Nnewi Diocesan School Board would find a way to mainstream coding and robotics studies in its curriculum for it to be well entrenched in the system. He maintained that only such early exposure would help the children to grow with it as a culture which will become part of them.
“We have started and nobody knows the extent we can go. Our intention is that these students will turn out well,” he noted.
According to the bishop, the first time he came in contact with coding and robotics was as an Archdeacon. So when the founder of Edufun Technik, Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu, brought the idea to him, it was easy for him to take the opportunity.
“It was not a new thing to me, so we immediately hit the ground running to make it a reality for the students in the diocese to benefit without their parents/guardians paying so much because it involves a lot of money, considering the materials, workshop books, the setting up of laboratories among others,” the bishop said, noting that this is a technology-driven era, therefore the students should be prepared to meet up with the challenges of the time.
Obi commended the Edufun Technik on their commitment for the programme to succeed. “I truly commend the Edufun Technik facilitators. I must confess they have been running at a loss. I am certain, but I told them that this is the sacrifice they will make to flag off this. Then with time, various schools within the state will key in, for it is said that the more the merrier. When others key in, they will then begin to recoup their investment.”
He said both the diocese and the facilitators had made heavy investment in the programme, but their interest is to empower the average girl and boy in the Diocesan schools.
“I am happy at the impact being made on these girls. That is the joy. We will extend it to other schools like Carol Standard, Bishop Uzodike, Dame Irene Okwuosa, Living Spring, and Kings Secondary; in all, 16 secondary schools of the diocese will benefit.”
The Archdeacon in charge of education in the diocese, Ven. Henry Nzubechukwu Nduka, noted that it was not easy as the financial involvement nearly scared them away, but considering the benefits, the diocese had to reconsider and make the investment.
He said the bishop’s aim is to make Nnewi a technology hub in Africa, saying that coding and robotics have come to stay in Nnewi Diocese.
Explaining further, Uchenna Onwuamegbu-Ugwu, the Managing Director of Edufun Technik Centre and facilitator of the programme, said Coding, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics education are simply aimed to bring technology closer to the children; introduce them to the 21st Century digital skills and prepare them for the future.
She tasked policymakers on the need to pay urgent attention to what the future looks like and start overhauling the nation’s school curriculum.
“Robotics education right now is what the children should be looking out for. The future of work showed how work will get done over the next decade, influenced by technological, generational, and social shifts. Therefore, the right thing to do is to equip the younger generation with the right skills for them to make informed decisions.
“The world of internet and technology has come to stay; knowing this, we have to think about jobs that will be available by 2030,” Onwuamegbu-Ugwu said.
According to one of the students, Mmesoma: “This will be an unforgettable experience in my life, participating in this robotics workshop has opened my eyes to the possibilities of embracing technology. I want to become a farmer in the future, and I now understand how technology will help me, especially drone technology. I pray that this programme will be integrated into the school curriculum.”
