Three sentences capture the essence of the SustainHERbility Tech Academy (STA):
– four mobile apps,
– two tech exhibitions, and
– the birth of forty (40) bold, brilliant girls.
First, let’s take it from the top; why and how did we get to that great conclusion?
In Nigeria, only 22% of tech graduates are female (NBS, 2022). Behind that number are deep-rooted barriers including cultural bias, lack of access to digital tools, and limited opportunities for girls in underserved areas. Recognizing this gap, The Sapphires Development Initiative (TSDI) launched the SustainHERbility Tech Academy (STA) in September 2024 after receiving a grant award from Theirworld and a joint venture from both African Peace Clubs and CrystalBot. These partnerships were very tangential to the success of the STA project.
The initiative was designed to equip forty rural girls from four secondary schools—Big Apple School, Covenant College, Bibiire Comprehensive College, and Nawarudeen High School—across Oyo and Ogun States, aged between 9 and 16, with lifelong digital skills, leadership confidence, and a mindset that challenges gender stereotypes.
In the words of our Executive Director, Binuyo Olutomiwa, “We wanted girls to see themselves not just as users of technology, but as creators and innovators shaping the future.”
The STA was a movement from the very beginning; one aimed at sparking curiosity, creating inclusion, and fostering innovation and equity. It offered a perfect blend of norm-shifting education, leadership development, and hands-on tech training designed to empower the beneficiaries and transform their perspectives.
The project was implemented in different phases, creating a truly transformative experience for the girls. The first phase saw them begin their journey with lessons on gender equality, innovation, leadership, and the basics of mobile app development. The second phase focused on hands-on digital creation, with the girls designing and testing their own mobile apps and transforming their ideas into real-world solutions for issues they cared about most.
Having two amazing Tech Exhibitions to culminate the project was the highlight of STA.
Dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, Angela Solomon (Senior Advisor for Innovation, Projects and Research, Theirworld), school administrators, parents, and community volunteers were present to celebrate the girls’ growth and brilliance.
The exhibition also featured the SMARTED 2025 Debate Competition, during which outstanding students were recognized and awarded. Each winning school received a cash prize alongside branded accessories and scholarships to pursue advanced digital courses. The recognition boosted morale and highlighted the tangible value of investing in girls’ digital education.
Furthermore, the girls confidently showcased the four mobile apps they built: STEAMSpark, a gamified platform that makes STEM and SDG learning engaging and accessible; Be At the Center, a mindfulness app promoting emotional wellness; FuturePath, a career exploration app guiding secondary school students through learning opportunities and scholarship access; and ECD Learns, an early learning app offering play-based education for young children.
The STA demonstrated how girls, when given the chance, can design solutions for the world they live in. It reflected what is possible when young girls are trusted with technology, guidance, and belief. This project, however, goes beyond September 2024 to May 2025, because STA was not just a project, but a growing movement to shape a
new generation of female tech leaders.
At TSDI, we believe that education and technology are powerful tools for equity, and we will not stop until we bridge the digital divide with one girl (or boy), one innovation, and one life at a time, as we continue to impact lives positively.
Watch the video below for a spotlight of one of our participants, Sholafunmi.
Incredible initiative👏👏
Empowering girls with digital skills is the key to a more inclusive and sustainable future💯💯
The fact that the girls developed not one but four mobile apps (STEAMSpark, Be At the Center, FuturePath, ECD Learns) is such a tangible result.
This is really inspiring.
Kudos to The Sapphires Development Initiative!