Ijesa Tech Prize: How One Community Is Rewriting Nigeria’s STEM Story
By Tunde Okoro
Forget the old story that STEM education in Nigeria is stuck in a dusty classroom. Something fresh is happening in Ijesaland, and it is showing the whole country what community power looks like.
On July 18, 2026, the first ever Ijesa Tech Conference turned the spotlight on young innovators. Students from across Ijesaland walked away with prizes, cash, and a serious dose of confidence. This was not just another school competition. This was a statement.
The Ijesa Digital Hub (IDH), backed by the Ijesaland Global Alliance for Development (IGAD), is building a pipeline that takes kids from secondary school curiosity straight into the digital economy. No waiting. No excuses.
What Is the Ijesa Tech Prize?
The Ijesa Tech Prize is a competition designed to light a fire under secondary school students. It challenges them to think, build, and solve real problems using technology.
In its first year, 65 schools and over 130 students stepped up. They competed in challenges that tested creativity, teamwork, and practical problem solving. The winners got awards and cash prizes. But more importantly, they got proof that their ideas matter.
Dr. Cornelius Adewale, Executive Director of the Ijesa Digital Hub, put it straight: “Innovation is not something that starts after graduation. It begins when young people are encouraged to ask questions, solve problems, and think creatively from an early age.”
Digital Citizenship: More Than Just Coding
The Ijesa Digital Citizenship Programme is the other half of this equation. It teaches students how to use technology responsibly. Online safety, digital ethics, media literacy, critical thinking — these are not optional anymore. They are survival skills.
And the results are already rolling in. Since early 2024, the Hub has trained over 350 young people. More than 200 have completed specialized tech training. 112 graduates have finished career focused programmes in cybersecurity, software development, AI, data analytics, and UI/UX design. Many are now working, interning, or building careers in Nigeria’s growing tech sector.
This is not a charity project. This is a blueprint.
Who Is Driving This Vision?
Prince Abimbola Olashore, Chairman of IGAD, made it clear: “The future will belong to communities that prepare their young people not only to pass examinations but also to solve problems, innovate, and adapt to new technologies.”
Chief Lateef Bakare, a founding member of IGAD, reminded everyone that this has always been the goal. “From the inception of IGAD, we recognised that sustainable development begins with education.”
Even the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, His Imperial Majesty Owa Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, gave the initiative his full backing. That is the kind of leadership that moves mountains.
What the Experts Say
During a panel discussion titled “Igniting Innovation in Ijesaland and Beyond,” cybersecurity expert Mr. Tunji Igbalajobi dropped a truth bomb: “Don't just be consumers online; be producers. Innovation starts with production, not consumption.”
That is the energy Nigeria needs. Not more people scrolling. More people building.
Partnerships That Work
The Ijesa Tech Conference also saw the presentation of 5 million naira worth of technology training scholarships under the IDC IVETP Programme and IGAD partnership. 46 trainees graduated from intensive programmes in software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, UI/UX design, and AI.
Lady Modupe Ajayi Gbadebo, Vice President II of the Ijesa Development Council, called the collaboration a model for accelerating human capital development. She is right.
Why This Matters for Nigeria
This is not just a local success story. It is proof that African communities do not need to wait for foreign solutions. When we invest in our own people, with our own resources and our own vision, we win.
IGAD Vice President Dr. Wale Alonge summed it up: “By investing in STEM education and digital skills today, we are equipping the next generation with the knowledge and confidence to create solutions, seize opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to national development.”
Ijesaland is showing the way. The question is: who is next?
Photo: Vanguard