The Africa Digital Economy Forum (ADEF), an online transformation advocacy platform, says it has launched Shelter4Digital (S4G) initiative to drive digital inclusion in Africa.
Mr Akin Naphtal, founder of ADEF, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that starting from Nigeria’s most populous state, the forum had signed a partnership with the Lagos State Government to bring the S4G campaign to life across schools in the state.
Naphtal explained that with the mantra, “No one Should be Left Behind”, the initiative was aimed at creating awareness, deepening digitalization, driving digital inclusion among African youths and Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs) across the continent.
He said the S4G campaign began with a visit to public schools with special needs units, where teachers were trained in basic programming languages.
Naphtal said after that, the students were trained through assistance from their teachers who communicated with them via sign language.
“S4G project was created to support and create awareness of the importance of technology to aid social development and drive digital impact.
“Digital Inclusion can only be achieved when activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
“Inclusion must evolve as technology advances,” Naphtal said.
According to him, intentional strategies, investments, eliminating historical, institutional and structural barriers are necessary to access and use technology.
He noted that the necessity to provide access to technology birthed the Shelter4Digital Campaign.
Naphtal said the platform made its first stop at a community school with a special needs unit in the Agege Local Government Area.
According to him, the platform trained the teachers first, before moving to training the children.
“Our instructor taught the children how to create digital stories, make animations and designs.
“Tutoring the children has been an amazing experience, as they do not let their disabilities define them.
”The positive response we get from these children is what keeps us going, as some of them are now able to do graphics designing, digital stories, and even create animations,” Naphtal said.
He said ADEF was working toward getting laptops for students to make learning easier and also practice on their own.
According to him, the United Nations has identified the internet as a basic human right that should be extended to all citizens of the world.
He noted that as the digital revolution intensifies and grows, governments, non-profits and businesses would have to extend access to ICT very broadly.
Naphtal added that it was the only way forward to creating a more enabling and competitive global society.
