Tech expert Sesugh Gabriel Gbenga, a software engineer and founder of TechSpace Innovators, has emphasized that Nigeria's real technology crisis is not access to devices but access to opportunity. In an interview with Ene Oshaba, he highlighted how children in underserved communities, including displacement camps, are already building globally competitive AI solutions. He stated that the company's mission is to make STEM and AI education accessible and inclusive for all.
Two Distinct Tracks of TechSpace
Gbenga explained that TechSpace runs two distinct tracks: the In House programme for students in structured classes, and the Outreach programme that brings education to IDP camps and underserved schools. He stressed that each track deserves accurate recognition for its impact.
Victory Against Well-Resourced Schools
He noted that Nigerian children, given the right environment and belief in their capacity, can compete globally. Students from TechSpace won both categories they entered against well-resourced schools from Virginia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, using work they designed, trained, and built themselves. Gbenga questioned what could be achieved with further reduced barriers, envisioning a future where millions of Nigerian children grow up knowing they are builders.
Opportunity Gap vs. Device Gap
Gbenga challenged the assumption that providing devices alone solves the problem. He argued that the device gap is easier to address, but the opportunity gap is more stubborn. This gap includes the absence of trusted adults who believe in children from underserved communities, curricula not designed for their reality, and the lack of invitations to create. For displacement-affected communities, closing the gap requires portable, low-bandwidth, trauma-informed learning environments, co-design with communities, and training local facilitators. He warned that without inclusion, inequality will be encoded into future systems.
Democratizing AI Education in IDP Camps
Gbenga explained that the origin of AI and technology is largely Western and urban, but geography should not determine destiny. He emphasized that children in underserved communities are not behind but excluded due to structural failures. Practically, TechSpace uses offline-capable tools like BBC microbit and Create AI, which teach machine learning through physical motion. These tools lower the floor without lowering the ceiling, allowing children to build from day one while learning university-level foundations.
The Story of Dominic
Gbenga shared the story of Dominic, a boy in an IDP camp who dreamed of being a marine engineer and had already begun engineering by collecting electronic components. He warned that countless Dominics exist across Nigeria's displacement camps, and if their potential remains untapped, the country risks losing innovators who could transform their communities.
