Tag Archives: Youth entrepreneurship

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State — May 23, 2025

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The city of Uyo buzzed with energy and innovation as bright young minds from Calabar and Uyo came together for the 2025 Technovation South-South Nigeria Regional Pitch Event (RPE). Hosted by Chapter Ambassador, Grace Ihejiamaizu, and the team at iKapture Centre for Development, the event was a powerful celebration of girl-led innovation, courage, and creativity.

For 12 weeks, girls aged 8 to 18 participated in the Technovation Girls Challenge, a global tech and entrepreneurship program, where they worked in teams to identify real-world problems in their communities and build mobile apps as solutions. The RPE gave them a platform to pitch these ideas before an esteemed panel of judges and an encouraging audience.

“We built a smart app to help bridge the gap between local producers and buyers, making shopping easier.” – Team Member ( Alpha-X )

Among the standout projects was ERMEDICS, created by Team Tech Gunners — a mobile app developed using MIT App Inventor that educates girls on menstrual hygiene and includes a personal cycle tracker. Another notable project was Artkins, an app designed to support pregnant women and nursing mothers by providing essential health information and quick access to nearby healthcare services. Their pitch moved the judges deeply.

Returning judges Justina Ovat and Elizabeth Ita praised the girls for their ingenuity and passion.

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“It’s always inspiring to see young girls take the stage and share something they’ve passionately worked on,” said Elizabeth.

More than a pitch event, RPE was a celebration of the mentors, volunteers, parents, and teachers who supported the girls every step of the way — from brainstorming sessions to late-night rehearsals. It was a true community effort rooted in belief and purpose.

“This event is about more than building apps,” said Grace Ihejiamaizu. “It’s about building confidence, showing girls that they belong in tech, and reminding them that their voices and ideas can shape the future.”

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Winners from the Regional Pitch Event will advance to the semi-finals of the global Technovation Girls Competition, with the exciting possibility of presenting at the Technovation World Summit later this year.

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As we celebrate this year’s RPE, we’re reminded of the immense potential within every girl. With the right tools, mentorship, and opportunity, they are not just participants in the future — they are the architects of it.

This unforgettable experience would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners and community champions who helped us empower the next generation of innovators:

Special Thanks To:
✨ The Blue Hives
✨ Ekongol Affairs Consult
✨ Beautiful Brains and Help Foundation
✨ Start Hub Women
✨ EYOWOF Foundation
✨ Ekong De Up Global Limited

Your contributions made a lasting impact on every girl who stood on that stage.

Stay connected with us on Social Media and follow the journey of these brilliant young changemakers. The future is bright and it’s being built by girls.

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📸 View Event Photos Here
📩 Want to support our work with girls in STEM? Email us at [email protected]

The 2024 Digital Skill-Up Bootcamp (DSB) and the Digital and Leadership Academy (DLA), held at the iKapture Centre for Development, were packed with an incredible lineup of activities, empowering young participants with the essential skills they need to thrive in today’s digital world. Throughout the bootcamp, students from diverse backgrounds, aged between 6 and 18, came together to learn, collaborate, and grow.

The DSB program was carefully designed to cater to various levels of digital literacy, ensuring that each participant, whether a beginner or more advanced, gained valuable knowledge. The training was structured into multiple stages, allowing students to immerse themselves in a wide array of tech-related fields and soft skills.

Here’s a breakdown of the core skills the students acquired:

• Microsoft Office Suites: Introduction to the fundamental tools like Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
• Graphic Design: Teaching creativity with tools like Canva.
• Cinematography: Basics of photography and storytelling through visuals.
• Mobile App Development: Hands-on experience in building simple mobile applications.
• SEO & Copywriting: Crafting engaging content and optimizing it for search engines.
• Web Design & Development: Introduction to HTML and CSS to create basic websites.
• Whiteboard Animation: Developing visually engaging and educational animations.
• Leadership, Decision a & Teamwork: Building critical soft skills to lead teams and collaborate effectively.
• Presentation Skills: Preparing students to present their projects with confidence and clarity.

Capstone Projects & Teamwork

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One of the highlights of this year’s bootcamp was the capstone projects. Participants were divided into teams to work on real-life projects based on their chosen areas of specialization. The projects gave the students an opportunity to apply the skills they learned in a practical way.

During the project week, the students displayed impressive teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. They were guided by facilitators and volunteers, ensuring they could tap into their full potential.

The Graduation Event

The grand finale of the bootcamp was the graduation ceremony, where participants showcased their projects to parents, facilitators, and invited guests. Each child received a well-deserved certificate of completion, with special awards presented to students with the best presentations and exceptional contributions during the program.

Parents and guardians were filled with pride as they watched their children confidently present the results of their hard work. The energy in the room was electrifying, as many parents expressed their satisfaction with the program and the remarkable progress their children had made.

What Parents Are Saying

Here are a few testimonials from parents whose children participated in DSB 2024:

• “Thank you so much, iKapture; this is my son’s second time here, and there’s a big improvement. Today, my son teaches his younger sister and cousins how to use the computer.”
• “I was excited to see my child help me out with Excel when I was having difficulties; my second child was in the graphic design class, and he will be designing my PHD convocation flier. iKapture is doing such great work with the kids.”

Join the Waitlist for DSB 2025!

Were you unable to secure a spot for this year’s bootcamp? Don’t worry! We are already gearing up for the 2025 Digital Skill-Up Bootcamp, and we would love to have your child be part of the next cohort.

For inquiries on how to enroll your child in next year’s bootcamp, contact us at [email protected]

Applications are open for the 2015 SmarterPrize competition. SmarterPrize is a small business grant competition for young people with creative and innovative business ideas. The competition is organised by iKapture Networks with support from the US Department of States’ Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). The aim is to identify young secondary school leavers between 15 and 24 years who have smart business ideas but lack fund to start-up.

Selected finalists will receive grants of up to N100,000, mentoring and training to help them launch their enterprises.