By Levinus Nwabughiogu

RECENTLY, on April 26, the Minister of Communications and Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson celebrated the World ICT Girl Day in Abuja, and continued a campaign against women’s phobia and shyness in taking careers in science, technology and  engineering.

To mark the day, the minister opted to have five girls from different schools at a round table in the conference room of her ministry. The  schools involved were Junior Secondary School (JSS), Life Camp; Government Secondary School (GSS), Jabi; Regina Pacis College (RPC), Garki; Capital Science College (CSC), Kuje; Federal Girls Government College (FGGC), Bwari and Community Secondary School (CSS), Asokoro.

Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson presents a gift of a tablet computer to one of the girls at the occasion.

STE courses not preserve of men
Mrs. Johnson believes that careers in science, technology and engineering (STE) are not the exclusive preserve of men. Thus, she wants the girls to dare. Hear her: “The reason this day has been set aside is because there are not so many girls that articulate into ICT careers options”, Mrs. Johnson began.

“That is because sometimes, we girls or students tend to think that ICT is only for the boys. I understand that all of you here are top in sciences and I really congratulate you on that. I will encourage you to make sure that all of you here go for science and engineering careers”.

Mrs Johnson went down memory lane and told the students that while she was in school, there were 80 in her class, but only five were girls. She told them that she didn’t feel intimidated but courageous, adding that her resilience has today paid off, encouraging them more by predicting that the girls’ futures will be like hers.

Opportunities
To her, the world of engineering still has an avalanche of untapped resources especially with the establishment of many telecommunications companies in Nigeria and she was very unequivocal about it.

“There are many opportunities in this industry and I think you should not continue to shy away from Sciences”, she urged the students. “I know that the things you have learnt over the last few days have been amazing and I am confident that one of you is gonna sit on this chair. I am so excited from what I have heard  from all of you. And I really want to encourage to stay in Science and Technology. There are things that you must realize that as a woman, not just being in ICT”.

The high point of the event was when the minister gave the students some Nigerian-made tablet computers, while their teachers who accompanied them got laptops.

Students react
Speaking with Vanguard on her enthusiasm and prospects in the science world, Miss Nneoma Ugwu from the Capital Science Academy said that seeing women in take careers that field of human endeavor was very inspiring.

“I am here on the Girl in ICT programme. I have learnt a lot from this programme. It’s been so exciting. They took us round to different places: MTN, NETCOM, and Satellite. But  honestly, the most excellent and wonderful part of this experience was when I saw different ladies in ICT, different women like Mrs. Linda, CTO of MTN, when I saw the Minister of Communication and Technology, she was very inspiring and this is what sort of the woman that I want to be to the up-coming generations. I am show them that this is the way forward,  that even though the past generation couldn’t do it, but right now, we are going to do it and accomplish all our goals. God help us”, she said

Similarly, her mate from the same school, Miss Sadima Ibrahim shares her experience. She said: “I know that all she has done is appreciated by a lot of people because this is a rare opportunity for every one and it has definitely touched many people. And it has given girls a different view of ICT in general and then we can see that there are various job opportunities in the ICT world which means that we girls can make it in the ICT world.

“I am interested in ICT but I have always traveled along to be a medical doctor but then I am hoping I will get a job in Medicine but has to do with a lot of ICT because I know these  days we need ICT everywhere. I want to concentrate on nuclear and medical studies; I may do ICT part-time.”