Start with a curious six‑year‑old: UK tech founder urges Nigeria to weave technology into every classroom
By: Oluwaseun Lawal
Picture this. A child poking at her mum’s phone. Not mischief, just curiosity. Now imagine that moment moved into a classroom—guided, safe, turned into learning. That’s the future Gabriel Iruaga keeps talking about. The UK‑based founder of Embold Lab and CEO of Rendcore Technology sat down with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos and made a simple ask that feels large: put technology education across the school curriculum. Early. Consistent. For everyone.
He’s not speaking in buzzwords. He’s thinking nursery and primary, where kids learn to handle the internet safely, tell stories with simple apps, and play logic games that sneak in problem‑solving. Small steps. Big habit. In secondary school, he wants more hands, less theory—short projects, real problems, local context. Build a basic website for the school farm. Map a market with a phone camera and a spreadsheet. Try, fail, try again. Because skills sticks better when it’s used.
At university, he says the path should widen, not narrow. Courses in data analytics, product design, cybersecurity, AI—yes. But pair them with mentors and internships so students don’t graduate with only slides and no scars. “Tech isn’t a lucky ticket,” he told NAN, almost sighing. “It’s a tool.” A tool that lets a designer in Maiduguri sell logos to Abuja clients. Or a farmer near Kaduna list produce online. Or a graduate in Lagos crunch data for a Canadian firm without leaving home. That’s not hype; it’s how the internet actually works when the pipes and people are ready.
Iruaga points to numbers from Embold Lab to show the slope is real. Since launching in 2023, the program says it has trained over 10,000 young people—through bootcamps, live sessions, mentorship. About 60% landed jobs within six months. Another 15% started businesses of their own. Not perfect, he admits. But proof that practice beats talk, and that guidance matters more than glossy brochures.
He’s also calling for a bigger table. Government, EdTech platforms, telecoms, and global tech giants—everyone in the same room, not later, now. Think state partnerships with platforms like Embold Lab, ALX, Andela, Decagon. Think telcos who zero‑rate data for learning content so a lesson doesn’t end when the bundle runs out. Think Google, Microsoft, Meta planting innovation hubs inside our universities, not just logos on event banners. If you build the ecosystem, students will find their lane. And stay in it.
There’s the hard stuff too. Infrastructure. Power that doesn’t blink. Labs that don’t gather dust. Teachers who get trained, then retrained, then thanked. Public‑private partnerships that don’t collapse after the ribbon is cut. He says bridging Nigeria’s digital gap isn’t one project or one policy; it’s a series of small, steady decisions—mentorship here, a router there, a curriculum tweak, an internship slot—done again and again. Until it looks obvious.
So yes, it sounds ambitious. But also practical. Start early. Keep it hands‑on. Tie learning to real work. And make sure cost and access isn’t the gatekeeper. “Let’s stop scolding curiosity,” Iruaga said, half‑smiling. “Let’s teach it.” Because the workforce of tomorrow isn’t far away. It’s in today’s classroom, tapping a screen, waiting for someone to say—here, this is how it works.
