750 Students, 20 CSOs Hosted & Trained At TENT South-East Edition & Internet Policy Training

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has hosted the South-East editions of TENT Workshop 2014, and the Internet Policy Training, as part of it continuing efforts to expand the space for opportunities in Nigeria’s internet and digital spaces. The events held from 24 – 26, and then 27 – 28 June, 2014.

PIN hosted a 3-day workshop facilitated by experts from 24 – 26 June at the Nike Lake Resort Centre in Enugu. The workshop featured trainings by experts, on Nigeria’s freedom of information law, Internet freedom advocacy in Nigeria, internet freedom and social media, communicating organizational objectives, ICT Policy in Nigeria and introduction to digital security. Participants included 20 Civil Service Organisations (CSOs) based in that South-East of Nigeria.

After the successful ‘Internet Policy Training’ in Enugu, the PIN team moved to Abia where they hosted over 750 students from various schools to a 2-day workshop tagged ‘TENT (Techie. Entrepreneurial. Nigerian. Talented.) Workshop’.  The event was held in conjunction with the National Association of Computer Science Students and held at the Abia State Polytechnic on 27 -28 June, 2014.

Some of the schools represented were Abia State Polytechnic, Michael Okpara University, Enugu State University, and the Institute of Management and Technology, University of Nigeria.

Day one of the TENT workshop focused on encouraging students to come up with innovative tech ideas to enable them graduate with a business plan and not just Curriculum Vitae. Tope Ogundipe, Chief Operating Officer of PIN also introduced the students to digital opportunities in Nigeria with a focus on aiki.ng, the online jobs and opportunities portal launched by Microsoft last year. “You need skills to be able to launch, lead and grow a business,” Ogundipe told the students.

Speaking during his session, ‘Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of PIN, pointed out the four stages for students to graduate with a technology business plan: Ideation, Action, Focus and Consolidation.
“The big vision for the TENT Workshops is to help jump start the culture of innovation and enterprise in the mold of global tech brands among students in Nigeria tertiary institutions,” he said. “Don’t let anyone deceive you, don’t let anyone turn you into a failure before you even try”.

Day two of the workshop hosted 50 students with tech ideas in a closed facilitated session with Sesan. The students were divided into groups for software solutions, online and social networking, system security, gaming and entertainment, hardware solutions, desktops and Mobile applications. They all gave presentations and demonstrations of their ideas.

Registration is now opened for the North-Central edition of the Internet Policy Training. Interested participants should visitwww.pinigeria.org/ipt.

About (PIN)
Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is a social enterprise that connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities. Having worked with government, civil society, private institutions and international organisations, PIN’s projects build on years of combined experience and focus on socio-economic development. Our projects include Capacity Building programs such as Ajegunle.org, Web Academy and TENT; and ICT Policy intervention programs. Through these projects and our allied services, PIN connects individuals, people-groups, institutions and communities with the socio-economic opportunities that ICTs provide.