Code Ambassadors Inspire 1,150+ Future Innovators at Young Techies Festival 4.0
Dez Mayorz News
The Young Techies Festival has celebrated another milestone in Nigeria’s tech education landscape, drawing over 1,150 participants for its 4th edition at the Celebr8 Event Centre, Port Harcourt.
Somkenechukwu Chukwudera Mamah, Founder of Code Ambassadors and Convener of the Young Techies Festival, in his opening remarks, encouraged the audience to stay focused on their goals.
“You must dare to dream big and, more importantly, discipline yourselves to take the necessary steps to achieve those dreams,” he said.
The festival, organised by Code Ambassadors and supported by key sponsors, continues to promote digital learning, innovation, and early engagement with technology among children and young adults. The 2025 edition brought together children, parents, educators, sponsors, partners, and supporters, with sponsorship from the Rio Foundation, CESA (Computer Empowerment Scheme for Africa), the Eleme Local Government Council, and Market Square, while Techeconomy *and Dez Mayorz* provided media support.
This year’s event served as a platform for young tech enthusiasts to present their ideas and showcase practical solutions. One of the major highlights included a pitch session by ten children *who were selected from 47 applications*, developed AI-powered solutions targeting community-based challenges. Each project aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Among the presenters were *Team Appsolute (Nigeria), Code Belles (Nigeria) and Code Lightning Girls (South Africa), Africa finalists and Regional Honoree in both the Beginner and Junior Divisions of the Global Technovation Challenge 2025*. Their mobile applications and digital solutions drew attention from both guests and judges.
The event featured a series of talks by tech professionals, including Brue Lucas, CEO of OlotuSquare; Angela George, Senior Systems Engineer at Unity HQ, Ashford Etela, *Founder, Toons Republic*; and Oluwasegun Adekola. They spoke on *the future of tech in AI, gaming, Animation and robotics. They also* introduced participants to emerging concepts in simple, relatable terms.
Following the pitch session, Jehu Elijah, Omole Tamilore, and Lisa Henry were named winners of the hackathon. Each received a laptop, a router, and a three-month data subscription, sponsored by CESA. Ten other children received full scholarships to attend the Code Ambassadors Summer Coding Classes, *sponsored* by Market Square.
The festival also included a parents’ panel session on “Parenting in the Digital Age.” *with Pst Richard Adekola, Mrs Delight Uche-Anichie, Mr Timi Omole, Mrs Amarachi Stanley-Duru and Mr Emmanuel Nwachukwu* The discussion focused on setting boundaries, promoting digital literacy, and guiding children through safe and meaningful use of technology.
To make the event inclusive, Gloria Obo Dibiah, Administrator of Eleme Local Government Area, sponsored 200 students from the local council area to participate.
Children explored hands-on activities, including 3D printing demonstrations by 3D Reality Hub and immersive experiences through Virtual Reality presented by ArFed. Exhibitions, a tech-themed quiz, and a spoken word performance by Merit Speaks added more value to the event. Participants also benefited from free dental and eye screenings, courtesy of Snow Dental Care and Lotag Eye Clinic.
The Young Techies Festival 4.0 closed with raffle draws and giveaways, creating moments that participants are likely to remember beyond the event.
The next edition of the Young Techies Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 12, 2026. Organisers have promised to build on this year’s activities and expand its impact across more communities in *Africa*.
