Lagos State Government (LASG) In a bid to ensure that its CodeLagos project becomes a success, the Lagos State Government has announced that it will partner ARM Limited, a leading financial services provider, to create 500 coding centres in public and private schools across the state.
CodeLagos is an initiative of the state government targeted at equipping some one million Lagosians with computer programming/digital skills aimed at making the state the technology frontier in Africa.
The programme is to be launched in April this year with about 300 of which ARM providing and equipping 15 of the centres.
In a chat with journalists to announce the initiative, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh said the target was to set up 500 centres before the end of 2017.
He said modalities have been put in place for 300 centres by April in partnership with the private sector, adding that an agreement has been concluded with ARM, one of the private sector players, for the programme.
Bank-Olemoh said: “ARM will be setting up 15 centres and these centres will be established in low income schools in line with Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s commitment to promoting inclusive governance and qualitative education for all citizens.
Chief Executive Officer of ARM Limited, Jumoke Ogundare, said her organisation was excited about the partnership with the state on the CodeLagos initiative, adding the project was in line with the commitment of the firm towards improving access to quality education for all.
Ogundare said over the years, ARM had demonstrated in clear terms its commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and given its track record.
She said: “It becomes easier to partner the state on the CodeLagos, believing that it will lead to improved digital knowledge and impact positively on job and wealth creation.”
She added that the company will continue to do its best to ensure that it gives back as a measure of goodwill to the people.
The registration and screening of facilitators for CodeLagos started last week and is ongoing. At the end of the process, 1,500 facilitators would be selected and deployed to centres across the state.
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