Niger Delta Innovate (NDI), a technology education organisation focused on empowering young people in the Niger Delta, has launched its Technovation Club in Okrika, Rivers State, establishing the community’s first robotics laboratory at Okrika Grammar School to train secondary school students in practical technology skills.
The initiative introduces structured, hands-on technology education to students across Okrika Local Government Area, bringing together participants from multiple secondary schools for weekly robotics training designed to prepare them for the modern digital economy.
The inaugural cohort, which commenced on March 7, includes both junior and senior secondary school students selected from schools across the area. Over the next three months, participants will attend weekly practical sessions at the robotics laboratory where they will work with Arduino microcontrollers, sensors, and other physical computing components.
Through these sessions, students will learn the fundamentals of robotics and embedded systems by building real-world projects that address everyday challenges in Nigerian communities.
According to Niger Delta Innovate, the programme focuses on project-based learning that allows students to understand technology not only as users but as creators capable of designing practical solutions.
Students participating in the programme will develop projects such as automatic water level monitoring systems for homes, smart security devices that send SMS alerts, soil moisture sensors designed to support farming activities, and Arduino-powered generator auto-start systems.
These projects are intended to help students connect classroom learning with real-life problems while gaining technical skills in electronics, programming, and hardware design.
At the end of the programme, participants will present their work during a showcase event where parents, educators, industry professionals, and community leaders will observe the robotics projects developed by the students.
A spokesperson for Niger Delta Innovate said the robotics laboratory represents more than just a training centre, describing it as a major step toward expanding access to technology education in underserved communities.
“When we set up this robotics lab in Okrika, it wasn’t just about installing equipment; it was about making a statement that world-class technology education can and should happen right here in the Niger Delta,” the spokesperson said.
“These students are not just learning to code or wire circuits. They are learning how to observe problems around them and build solutions with their own hands. That mindset is what drives innovation.”
The programme was established in response to long-standing gaps in access to technology education in many communities across the Niger Delta.
While Nigeria’s technology sector continues to grow rapidly, particularly in cities such as Lagos and Abuja where major tech hubs attract investment and talent, many young people in smaller communities often lack access to modern learning tools, mentorship, and structured technology training.
NDI’s Technovation Club aims to bridge that gap by bringing industry-relevant learning opportunities directly into local schools and communities.
Administrators at Okrika Grammar School, which now hosts the robotics laboratory, said the programme has already begun to inspire students and create excitement around science and technology.
“We are proud that Okrika Grammar School has become the home for this groundbreaking initiative,” a school administrator said.
“Seeing our students work with robotics equipment, collaborating with peers from other schools, and building real technology gives our community hope that the next generation will not just consume technology but create it.”
The robotics-focused cohort represents the first stage of NDI’s wider Technovation Club programme, which is structured around 11 technology career pathways delivered across multiple sessions.
Beyond robotics and embedded systems, the broader programme introduces students to areas such as web development, artificial intelligence and machine learning, animation, digital marketing, data science, cybersecurity, product design, software engineering, game development, and cloud computing.
According to the organisation, the long-term objective is to nurture a new generation of technology innovators from the Niger Delta while creating clearer pathways from secondary school education into careers within Nigeria’s expanding technology sector.
By starting with Okrika, NDI hopes to demonstrate that globally relevant technology training can be delivered effectively in communities that have historically had limited access to such opportunities.
The organisation has indicated plans to expand the Technovation Club programme to more schools and communities across the Niger Delta as additional cohorts are introduced in the coming months.
