From robots to artificial intelligence.. Togo is building Africa's new digital generation.

Written by: Mohammed Omran

At a time when global competition for technology skills is accelerating andartificial intelligenceAfrican countries began focusing on building a new digital generation equipped with future tools years ago, starting in childhood. In Lomé, the Togolese capital, the summer camp at the Digital School transforms into a training space that combines education and innovation. Here, children learn programming, robotics design, and to develop early technological solutions.

Investing in the minds of the future: A digital camp in Togo teaches children programming and robotics

LUMIMAY Digital Summer Camp welcomes dozens of children eager to discover the world of technology through hands-on training, including building robot prototypes, writing their first lines of code, and learning the basics of artificial intelligence.

The 14-year-old child, Wiener Kodgra, is participating in the program, working on designing a robotic hand that relies on motors and electronic circuits. He emphasized that the experience has helped him understand how technological devices work and the role of digital innovation in daily life.

Wiener says his learning wasn't limited to dealing with electronic components, but also extended into the world of software, where he began developing web pages and learning ways to create applications based on modern technology.

From learning tools to creating solutions

The program does not focus solely on teaching children how to use technology, but rather aims to transform them into innovators capable of designing solutions for their communities in the future.

The Digital School for Children provides an environment that focuses on experimentation and application, where devices are disassembled, their workings understood, and then reassembled, with the aim of enhancing creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

The program management believes that investing in digital skills from an early age is an important step in preparing a generation capable of competing in the future job market, especially with the expanding global reliance on artificial intelligence and modern technologies.

Supporting girls and reducing the digital divide

In addition to technical training, the camp focuses on encouraging girls' participation in digital fields, in an effort to address the gender gap in STEM sectors.

According to UNESCO, women's participation in technology fields remains limited, as they represent a smaller percentage of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates, in addition to their limited presence in data and artificial intelligence jobs.

Gottlieb Bataba, director of Lomi Digital School, emphasizes that the goal is to introduce children, especially girls, to these fields at a young age, so that the digital divide does not continue in the future.

Togo bets on the digital generation

Digital educational initiatives in Togo are part of a broader trend in Africa towards developing technical skills for youth, considering technology as a key driver of economic growth and job creation.

The importance of these programs is not limited to teaching programming or robotics, but extends to building an innovative mindset and critical thinking, skills that have become essential in the age of digital transformation.

As technology continues to expand across the African continent, Togo, through these initiatives, seeks to prepare a new generation that not only uses technology but also participates in its creation and development.