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Four-Week Digital Skills Programme Targets Youth as Young as Five Years Old
Benue State has officially kicked off the 2025 BDIC Summer Tech Camp, a flagship initiative of the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company PLC (BDIC). The initiative is aimed at preparing the next generation of technology innovators.
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Speaking in Makurdi at the programme’s opening, Terwase Gbande-Hembaor, Group Managing Director/CEO of BDIC, described the initiative as a transformative investment in Benue’s digital future.
“We are offering four weeks of intensive, hands-on training in Web Development, Software Tools, and Back-End Programming, all fully sponsored. This is part of our mission to ensure access to future-proof digital skills for all age groups — starting as early as five years old,” Gbande-Hembaor said.
Early Digital Education as a Path to Sustainable Innovation
Gbande-Hembaor stressed that digital innovation must start early to create problem-solvers for the future.
“From coding to critical thinking, early exposure nurtures creativity and adaptability. Building a digitally literate youth population in Benue is not optional — it is the foundation for economic competitiveness, inclusive growth, and long-term societal progress,” he said.
The BDIC Summer Tech Camp aligns with Governor Hyacinth Iornem Alia’s digital transformation agenda, which includes launching e-governance portals, ICT training for civil servants, and strategic partnerships with technology leaders to cultivate a tech-savvy workforce.
Partnerships Driving Benue’s Digital Economy
Earlier in 2025, BDIC signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to advance digital literacy, smart education, and ICT infrastructure development across Benue.
The state has also launched Capacity Building Training on Artificial Intelligence, Coding, and Digital Skills for principals and digital school coordinators from 15 pilot secondary schools across all three senatorial districts. This initiative lays the groundwork for 21st-century education in Benue’s over nine million population.
Pioneering Technology-Driven Governance
Benue State has emerged as the first sub-national in Nigeria to deploy an Electronic Emergency Management & Drone Surveillance System. This technology provides live monitoring of crisis zones, affected communities, and IDP camps, drastically improving response times and coordination.
The innovation follows a series of violent clashes between nomadic cattle herders and farmers in the state, including a recent attack that claimed over 100 lives.
“Benue is no longer just responding to emergencies. We are redefining emergency management through digital innovation, drone intelligence, and citizen-centered service delivery,” Gbande-Hembaor stated.
Looking Ahead: Building a Smart, Inclusive Benue
The BDIC plans to expand its tech camps, innovation hubs, and structured capacity-building programmes, with the goal of shaping a smart, inclusive, and innovation-driven Benue State.
“Governor Alia has said this is ‘only the beginning’ of Benue’s digital transformation — and we fully agree,” Gbande-Hembaor added.
Last May, Alia was honoured as one of the“50 Most Valuable Personalities (50MVPs) in Nigeria’s Digital Economy 2025,” This is a prestigious list curated by Knowhow Media (publishers of IT Edge News.Africa), celebrating leaders driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.
