Technology has become one of the most powerful tools for youth empowerment in Nigeria. Traditional opportunities are limited in Nigeria, but tech has opened new doors. These doors do not require connections, capital or years of waiting. Young people can now build careers, businesses, and solutions that directly improve their lives and communities, all with a device, internet connection and the right tech skills.
Through digital entrepreneurship, we can now create startups, offer freelance services, and sell products online. Skill acquisition has become more accessible. Young Nigerians are learning coding, robotics, data analysis, and digital literacy outside the walls of traditional classrooms. Sometimes, from the comfort of their bedrooms. The logical direction from there is economic independence, as youths can now decide their own finances when they’re able to build wealth with their skills.
Most people know this, but it can all seem like words on a screen sometimes. Like “of course young people are building careers, that’s what they all say”. However, this empowerment is driven by real people, and one such example is the work of Jonathan Godwin.
Jonathan Godwin: Turning Access into Opportunity
At just 22 years-old, Jonathan Godwin is an Ashoka Young Changemaker and the Founder of the STEM Club. The STEM club is a non-profit social initiative committed to identifying and empowering students and youths from less privileged backgrounds. His vision follows the thinking that talent is everywhere, but opportunity? Not so much. Godwin believes that technology and intention can help bridge that gap.
Through this club, Godwin has created a platform where young people are exposed to the tools, mindset, and skills needed to build careers in tech and become problem-solvers in their communities. This is key, as the initiative does not focus on theory alone. It prioritizes hands-on learning that allows students to see themselves not just as consumers of technology, but as creators and innovators.
The STEM club’s training is built around six key areas: STEM Education, Digital Literacy, Social Innovation, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This structure ensures that participants are not only technically skilled, but also socially aware and confident. It follows the reality that solutions are built for people, not robots, so the social element cannot be disregarded.
By combining technical training with leadership and social impact thinking, Godwin’s work reflects a deeper understanding of youth empowerment. An understanding that real empowerment equips people to build solutions, not just pass exams.
Empowerment Beyond Skills: Building Social Innovators
What sets the STEM club apart is its emphasis on social innovation. Participants are encouraged to look at problems in their immediate environment and ask the billion dollars question, “Can technology help solve this? How?”
This approach turns learning into action. Students are not just taught STEM concepts, they’re also taught how to apply them in ways that create measurable impact. This way, they too begin to see themselves as changemakers, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.
For many youths involved in this club, this exposure is their first encounter with structured tech education. It reshapes their ambitions, showing them what’s truly possible for their future.
A Trash Bot That Changed Behaviour
The strongest example of this impact came from a young female student in the STEM Club. She wanted to keep the environment clean, and thought that a good way to do this would be to make waste disposal more engaging for students.
With guidance and support from the STEM Club, she built an automatic dustbin. A trash bot designed to make waste disposal interactive and fun. This innovation was not just a prototype, it was implemented at Jakande Estate Comprehensive Senior College in Alimosho.
The result was mind-blowing. Trash disposal became so exciting that students willingly waited in line to use the automatic dustbin instead of littering the ground. What had previously been a behavioural problem was addressed through creativity, technology, and youth-led innovation. This is what youth empowerment should be. Problem-solving in our local communities first and foremost.
This single project demonstrated something powerful: when young people are given the right tools and mentorship, they can create solutions that change habits, improve environments, and inspire others.
Why Godwin’s Work Matters
Godwin’s work combines technology, education, and social impact. By targeting youths from less privileged backgrounds, the STEM Club ensures that empowerment is inclusive, not elitist.
His approach proves that tech empowerment is not just about producing software developers, it is about creating problem-solvers, leaders, and innovators who understand their communities and are equipped to serve them.
In a country where many youths struggle to see a path forward, initiatives like this offer hope. They show that with access, mentorship, and the right mindset, young people can build futures that are both sustainable and impactful.
Conclusion
Godwin’s story, and the work of the STEM Club is evidence that technology is doing more than creating buzzwords or digital trends. It is improving real lives, shaping behaviour, and driving social change at the grassroots level. This is important because what happens at the grassroots will determine what happens at the highest government levels.
As Inside Success Nigeria celebrates tech week, stories like this remind us of what truly matters: using technology not just to advance ourselves, but to uplift others and build a better society for the ones coming behind us.
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