By Peter Dansu Hope came alive in Badagry as the One Love Group of Friends graduated 50 young people from its free Tech Empowerment Trainin...
By Peter Dansu
Hope came alive in Badagry as the One Love Group of Friends graduated 50 young people from its free Tech Empowerment Training Programme and rewarded 10 outstanding participants with brand new laptops.
The initiative, aimed at closing the digital gap and nurturing grassroots innovation, climaxed on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in an atmosphere filled with excitement and pride. The programme has quickly become a platform for discovering and grooming tech talents within the Badagry community.
The journey began with a competitive selection process that screened numerous applicants before shortlisting 50 determined youths for a rigorous two week tech bootcamp. The training was carefully structured to meet modern industry demands, exposing participants to Graphics Design, Artificial Intelligence, Google Workspace, UI and UX Design, and Web Development.
Organisers maintained that the emergence of the top ten beneficiaries was strictly based on merit and performance throughout the training. The outstanding graduates who received brand new laptops are Muftaudeen Muhammed Olawale, Hunye Minasu Joseph, Job Oluwatobi Semawon, Oke Sesupe Deborah, Zinsu Joseph Jesuton, Olopade Mautin, Hunpe Daniel Pesu, Kiki Mawuyon, Tijani Abdulraheem Adebowale, and Gangbe Pemawuton Gabriel.
In a move to ensure sustainability and continuous growth, the Help Fellows Development Initiative pledged advanced mentorship and further specialised training for the ten awardees. The organisation said the goal is to elevate their competence from intermediate to expert level and position them for opportunities in the global technology space.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Emmanuel Esien, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ZandexAfrique Technologies Ltd, tackled the growing fear that artificial intelligence may render human workers obsolete.
According to him, artificial intelligence should be seen as a tool rather than a threat.
AI is not going to take human jobs as we think, he said. AI will not debug or deploy on its own. The AI you use was coded by someone like you, and its functions are limited to the abilities the coder provided.
Participants and community members described the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that technology remains one of the fastest pathways to economic empowerment for young Nigerians.
With the successful graduation of 50 youths and ongoing mentorship plans for the top performers, stakeholders say the One Love Group initiative may well mark the beginning of a new tech driven chapter for Badagry.
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