Hundreds of children in Nigeria’s capital have spent their summer holidays sharpening their literacy, digital and entrepreneurial skills as part of a government-backed initiative to promote lifelong learning.
The programme, known as BEARHUG (Season 12), was organised by the Federal Capital Territory Education Resource Centre under the theme “Harnessing ICT for Educational Productivity”. It brought together children aged six to 16 for four weeks of spelling competitions, poetry, ICT training, reading challenges and debates on topical issues.
Dr Neemat Abdulrahim, Director of the Centre, said the initiative was designed to keep children meaningfully engaged during the long vacation, combining education with moral lessons to build responsible citizens. She added that the camp had, over the years, helped tackle negative habits such as bullying while also boosting creativity, confidence and collaboration among participants.
Parents attending the closing ceremony praised the effort, calling it an invaluable contribution to education in Abuja. “This is a very impactful and morally sound initiative,” said one parent, Mr Zaka Fatuwa.
For 14-year-old participant Rasheed Oluwakorede, the highlight was learning ICT skills: “It has been very impactful, especially in ICT, which is the driving force of the modern world,” she said.
The programme ended with the award of prizes to winners of the various competitions, with organisers pledging to expand the initiative in future editions.
