https://reasonstobecheerful.world/deaf-in-tech-nigeria/
"Victor Oricha stands at the front of a small training hall in Abuja, Nigeria’s
capital, his fingers moving fluidly as he signs to the class. Behind him, a
large screen displays lines of colorful code. He points to a specific line and
signs, “This line controls the color of your header.”
At the back of the room, 27-year-old Umamatu Jiddah, one of eight students,
raises her hand. She dreams of becoming an app developer, but right now, her
code isn’t working. She signs her concern, and Oricha walks over, scans her
screen, and taps a few buttons. Within moments, her display updates. Jiddah’s
face brightens as she signs, “I missed that.”
Oricha nods in acknowledgment and returns to the front. “Coding is a language,
just like sign language,” he signs again. “Once you understand the logic, you
can build anything.”
This isn’t a typical classroom. The students are part of Deaf-in-Tech, a
program designed to break barriers for Nigeria’s Deaf community in the
country’s booming tech industry. Over the past decade, tech has emerged as one
of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors, contributing at least 20 percent to the
country’s GDP in the second quarter of 2024, and drawing in at least $2 billion
in foreign investments. Yet, despite this growth, tech job opportunities for
people with disabilities remain scarce.
Deaf-in-Tech aims to change that by providing a platform that empowers deaf
individuals with the skills and resources needed to break into Nigeria’s tech
industry through specialized training programs, mentorship initiatives and
strategic partnerships. Unlike conventional coding boot camps, where spoken
explanations dominate, here, lessons are delivered through sign language.
“All you need is their attention,” Oricha explains. “Once that is secured, you
can be sure they will give you their best.”"
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
