STEM Education for African Girls

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Q1 2026 E-Newsletter

We’re closing the mostconsequential gap in Africa’s future

The Visiola Foundation is closing the most consequential gap in Africa’s future. 35% of African youth aged 15–35 are not in education, employment, or training. In Nigeria, 3 out of 5 of these young people are female. By 2050, Africa will account for 25% of the global workforce, and without urgent intervention, a large percentage of that workforce will arrive unskilled, underemployed, and underserved.

Through our intensive 12-week Coding Boot Camps (CBC) for young women, After-School STEM Clubs for junior and senior secondary school girls (ASCG), residential STEM Camps for teen girls, career coaching and links to mentors and future employers, we equip African girls and young women with the skills and confidence to secure well-paid employment in the STEM fields.

With the World Economic Forum projecting that over 70% of all jobs will require digital competency within this decade, the cost of inaction is not just personal, it is a generational loss of human capital that no economy on the continent can afford.

The results speak for themselves. The Visiola Foundation has directly trained over 24,000 African girls and young women from 17 countries since 2014, and more than half of our Coding Boot Camp graduates are already employed across 15 cohorts, over the past 12 years.

In 2025, a young Nigerian woman named Victoria (28) enrolled in our Coding Boot Camp with no prior technical training. Twelve weeks later, she graduated with UI/UX skills, a portfolio, and connections to employers. She is now employed full-time as a Product Designer at a local tech company. Victoria is one of the 54% of CBC graduates who are employed on a full-time basis. That story is not exceptional at the Visiola Foundation. It is the pattern. In aggregate, our data shows that 87% of our coding boot camp graduates between 2022 and 2025 are in full-time or part-time employment, working as freelancers, or pursuing further education thanks to the CBC training they received. 13% are currently unemployed or in transition.

Our inaugural CBC Impact Data Brief below shows that our bootcamps are successfully building a pipeline of tech-capable graduates, with increasing relevance across multiple industries.

I hope you feel inspired as you read about our students’ achievements this past quarter. Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission.

With my warmest regards,

Ladé

President, The Visiola Foundation

1,618 Girls Learn Mobile App Development and Robotics

This quarter, we ran the After-School STEM Clubs for Girls (ASCG) program in 25 Senior Government Secondary Schools and 10 Junior Secondary Schools in Abuja. 1,618 students learned how to build mobile apps and robots, which are foundational skills that open the door to future careers in technology and in other sectors.

300 Girls Celebrate International Women’s Day at Inter-School Competition

We partnered with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to celebrate International Women’s Day with a landmark hybrid event. The gathering brought together 300 guests, including students from 35 schools in our ASCG program, officials from the FCT Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), and representatives from EducationUSA, All On, and other partners.

Held under the theme “Give to Gain,” the event highlighted the importance of investing in girls’ education as a pathway to prosperity and economic transformation, and underscored the work being done by the Visiola Foundation to build a pipeline of female African STEM professionals.

The event featured our annual Inter-School Robotics and Mobile App Competition, where student teams pitched and demonstrated project prototypes, from an app to detect counterfeit products to a security robot designed to protect students from abductions.

Ladé Araba (President, The Visiola Foundation) challenged the students to stay inquisitive and courageous, seeing themselves as innovators and problem-solvers. She inspired them to see the world as their oyster.

Caroline Eboumbou (CEO, All On) delivered an inspiring keynote speech, telling the students that their apps show their deep imagination. Dr. Jemimah Njuki (Director, Gender, African Development Bank) expressed her enthusiasm at the student presentations and urged the girls to keep developing their ideas and to help to bring other girls on board. The event also featured goodwill messages from Engineer Itohan Otoijamun (Deputy Director, NASENI) who told them that their voice and ideas matter. Zainab Nuhu from the Secondary Education Board (SEB) stated that investing in girls unlocks innovation, leadership, and stronger societies. In her goodwill message, Folusho Gbadamosi (VP, Junior Achievement Africa) stated that, “we need more girls like you creating technology, not just using it.”

Mobile app to send location specific distresssignals to emergency services.

Security robot designed to deter and respond to attacks in schools.

Watch the IWD Highlights

ASCG Students Finish Second at NASENI STEM Challenge

An ASCG student team achieved second place in the Girls in STEM Challenge, organized by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) in collaboration with NASENI and coordinated by the DBeGotion Educational Foundation.

The team’s prosthetic limbs project was highly commended for its practicality, innovation, and strong demonstration of scientific application. The team was awarded ₦3,000,000 in scholarships.

This recognition highlights the impact of the ASCG program in fostering excellence in STEM and equipping students with the skills to develop innovative, real-world solutions through teamwork.

Alumni Highlights

Meet Mary (28)
2021 CBC Grad · Front-End Development | Web Designer and Marketing Agency Founder

“My journey into tech began with the 2021 CBC, where I learnt Frontend Development. Before that, I had faced a series of setbacks that almost made me give up on this path entirely.

The Visiola Foundation changed everything for me. It helped me see that this path was possible and that design wasn’t reserved for a select few. I saw women, Black women, thriving in tech, and that shifted my mindset.

When I started, I had no prior knowledge of HTML or CSS. But through the program, I pushed myself, learning, building, and taking on major parts of projects. At some point, people began to doubt that I was a beginner, and that became a turning point. It gave me the confidence and skills I needed to apply to and be admitted to the very competitive HNG internship.

From there, I progressed to Level 8 of the HNG programme, where my team worked on cloning Slack. After HNG, I built a website for MDO Trading with cryptocurrency features. That experience showed me that building alone isn’t enough and that marketing is everything. So I leaned into it.

Today, I run a marketing agency, working with clients across multiple industries and countries. I’ve been recognised as number one in sales by Fabicon France on LinkedIn, and named among exceptional sales and marketing professionals by Colnique Brand Africa across 17 countries.

The Visiola Foundation didn’t just teach me skills. Honestly, they gave me clarity, confidence, and the belief that I could build something meaningful. And that belief changed everything.”

SOME OF MY REAL-LIFE PROJECTS

• Ace Business Club (acebusinessclub.com) — Global mastermind for entrepreneurs

• Integrity FSI (integrityfsi.com) — Financial services company, USA

• Coastal Healthcare Systems (coastalhealthcaresystems.com) — Nursing agency, Texas

• Premium Care CIC (premiummcarecic.com) — Domiciliary care, UK

• BPG Solutions Plus (bpgsolutionsplus.com) — Oil & gas firm, USA

• Crafters Global Communications (craftersglobalcommunications.com) — Social enterprise, USA & Ghana

• Shalom to the Nations (shalomtothenations.org) — Charity, Canada

• Movie Embassy International (movieembassyinternational.com) — Film platform, Germany

 

SOME OF MY E-COMMERCE & SHOPIFY PROJECTS

• Amiri (amiri.com) — Global fashion brand

• FitTea (fittea.com) — Gen Z wellness brand, USA

• Bread & Pastry Lounge (breadnpastrylounge.com) — Food brand, Nigeria

• Koh (koh.com) — Cleaning products, Australia

Meet Miracle (30)


2024 CBC Grad ·  Full-Stack Web Development | Tech Programs Manager, Girls Voices Initiative

“I still remember when I applied for the Visiola Foundation web development bootcamp. I was excited, but honestly, I didn’t fully believe everything I saw in the application. When they mentioned transportation and lunch would be provided, I kept wondering, “How is this even possible?” I thought it was one of those things people say just to attract applicants. But from the very first day, they proved me wrong.

Transportation was provided consistently and comfortably, and we were always given good meals. It made a huge difference because we could focus on learning without worrying about transportation stress or staying hungry during classes. That level of care made the experience special for me.

During the bootcamp, I learned HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python programming. It was my first time being introduced to Python, and I was nervous at first, but the facilitators made learning so easy and interactive. They were patient, knowledgeable, and always ready to answer questions, no matter how many times we asked.

The training was very hands-on, and that was one of my favorite parts of the experience. We practiced a lot, collaborated with other participants, and learned in a very comfortable environment. Beyond the technical skills, I gained more confidence, met amazing people, made new friends, and expanded my network.

Looking back now, I can honestly say the bootcamp was more than just a tech training for me. It was an experience that helped me grow personally and professionally. I learned, unlearned, and relearned so many things, and I’m truly grateful to Visiola Foundation for the opportunity and impact they created in my journey.”

CBC Impact Data Brief

2016 - 2025 CBC Graduate Outcomes and Digital Economy Integration - January 2026

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Between 2016 and 2025, the Visiola Foundation Coding Boot Camp trained 653 students, equipping them with foundational and applied digital skills aligned with evolving labour market demand. Our analysis of alumni outcomes demonstrates a clear and accelerating improvement in graduate integration into the digital economy.

As of the most recent cohorts (2022–2025), 54% of graduates are either fully employed in technical roles or are applying technical skills in adjacent functions. This represents a significant increase from an estimated 11% tech engagement rate among earlier cohorts (2016–2021).

While global benchmarks suggest that 54–83% of coding bootcamp graduates in mature markets work in roles that directly utilize acquired skills (Course Report, 2019), the Visiola Foundation’s performance reflects a credible and improving trajectory within a more constrained labour market environment. Graduates are absorbed across education, health, finance, and service industries undergoing digital transformation.

The Coding Boot Camps demonstrated impact beyond short-term job placement. Over the years, students have learned full-stack web development, data analytics, and UI/UX design, equipping them with practical, in-demand skills across multiple technology domains. By building transferable, sector-agnostic tech skills, the program supports workforce resilience, inclusive access to digital careers, and sustained employability, thereby positioning it as a scalable intervention that is aligned with the digital economy and with regional human capital development priorities.

CBC GRADUATES DEMOGRAPHICS

The coding boot camp primarily served early-career professionals, students, and career switchers seeking entry-level or transitional roles in the digital economy. Many participants entered the program without prior formal training in software development or data analytics.

This demographic profile differentiates the program from many global bootcamps, which often cater to participants with prior degrees or existing professional experience. According to Course Report, a significant proportion of bootcamp participants in mature markets already hold bachelor’s degrees in related fields.

CAREER OUTCOMES

Graduate career outcomes show a measurable improvement across cohorts:

  • Early cohorts (2016–2021): 11% entered tech or tech-adjacent roles within one year

  • Recent cohorts (2022–2025):  45% entered tech or tech-adjacent roles within one year

  • Unemployment or unrelated employment declined from 25% to 12%

This shift indicates improving job readiness, stronger curriculum relevance, and growing employer recognition of program graduates.

Industry Context: Global bootcamp outcomes often report faster placement, but also operate within more mature hiring ecosystems. The year-on-year improvement seen here is a key signal of program strengthening and market fit. 

TECH ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Rather than reporting only direct software engineering placements, the Visiola Foundation employs a Tech Engagement Framework that classifies graduate roles by actual skill application, thus capturing impact that is often missed by traditional placement metrics. The Foundation’s framework recognizes the growing importance of hybrid and tech-enabled roles, aligning with global workforce trends identified by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2025).

Graduates were categorized into three engagement levels:

  • Fully in Tech (e.g., software development, data analytics)

  • Partially in Tech (e.g., product, digital operations, tech-enabled roles)

  • Not in Tech 

The data reveals the following trends across all cohorts:

  • 36% are fully engaged in tech

  • 20% are partially engaged in tech

  • 44% are currently outside the tech ecosystem

This results in a combined Tech Engagement Rate of 56%, a key indicator of the program’s overall impact.

QUALITY OF EMPLOYMENT

Graduate employment distribution demonstrates active labour market participation across a range of economic pathways. Notably, 61% of CBC graduates are employed full-time and part-time in corporate tech and freelance roles, demonstrating active tech engagement and indicating that the skills gained are being applied even outside traditional tech employment pathways. This further reflects the presence of strong skill transferability and suggests that the program contributes to long-term employability, and not just immediate job placement.

Across all cohorts, graduate outcomes demonstrate increasing labour market absorption over time, with:

  • 56% of graduates fully or partially engaged in tech-related roles

  • 44% outside the tech ecosystem, often due to labour market conditions, further education, or delayed career transitions

This distribution highlights both the program’s impact and the opportunity for strengthened post-training support to improve conversion into fully technical roles.

Figure 3: Career Outcome Distribution

INDUSTRY ALIGNMENT AND MARKET RELEVANCE

Graduate employment data indicates strong alignment between the Visiola Foundation’s coding boot camps and current labour market demand, particularly the growing integration of digital skills across non-technology sectors. Rather than concentrating graduate outcomes within traditional technology firms, employment is distributed across sectors undergoing active digital transformation, including education, health, finance, and service-oriented industries where demand for tech-enabled professionals is growing but formal training pipelines remain underdeveloped.

 

This pattern reflects global workforce trends identified by the World Economic Forum (2025), which estimates that over 70% of jobs now require some level of digital or technology-related competence, even when roles are not formally classified as “tech.” The program’s outcomes, therefore, reflect actual labour market absorption, not an over reliance on a limited pool of pure tech roles.

A key insight is that the majority of graduates are employed in sectors undergoing active digital transformation, where demand for tech-enabled professionals is increasing but formal training pipelines remain underdeveloped. This demonstrates that the coding boot camp is equipping participants with transferable, sector-agnostic digital skills that remain relevant across economic cycles.

WHERE TECH SKILLS ARE APPLIED

The coding boot camp curriculum is designed to deliver digital skills that align with how digital capability is increasingly demanded across the labour market. Rather than focusing solely on narrow software engineering pathways, the program emphasizes core technical competencies that can be applied across roles and sectors.

Industry-by- tech engagement analysis shows that:

  • 95% of graduates in technology services are fully tech-engaged.

  • Finance, education and other sectors show high levels of partial tech engagement and increasingly absorb tech-adjacent talent.

This confirms that graduates are applying their skills in real operational environments, not just in nominal tech roles.

Many coding boot camps evaluate success primarily by direct placement into software development roles. In contrast, the Visiola Foundation’s skills model aligns with actual labour market absorption patterns, where organizations increasingly require staff who can combine domain knowledge with digital fluency. This approach increases graduate employability during periods of reduced tech-sector hiring and improves long-term career mobility.

By prioritizing transferable tech skills and cross-sector relevance, the Coding Boot Camps strengthen both employment outcomes and system-level digital readiness, positioning the program as a strategic workforce development intervention rather than a narrow training program.

Figure 4: Relationship Between Industry Classification and Level of Technology Engagement

BENCHMARKING AGAINST GLOBAL STANDARDS

Compared with international benchmarks where 54–83% of bootcamp graduates report working in roles that directly use acquired skills (Course Report, 2019), the Visiola Foundation’s combined 56% tech engagement rate is benchmarked against international data showing that 54–83% of coding bootcamp graduates globally work in roles that directly utilize acquired skills (Course Report, 2019). This places the program within a credible and competitive range.

Employer surveys globally also show that over 80% of hiring managers view bootcamp credentials as comparable to traditional degrees for junior tech roles (Course Report, 2019), reinforcing the legitimacy of bootcamp-based employment pathways.

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES

The analysis suggests that the coding boot camp is successfully building a pipeline of tech-capable graduates, with increasing relevance across multiple industries. Key strategic opportunities stand out for funders and implementing partners:

CONCLUSION

With an estimated half of graduates actively participating in the tech ecosystem, the coding boot camp shows strong evidence of impact, relevance, and scalability. Continued tracking and refinement of outcomes will further strengthen accountability and stakeholder confidence.

METHODOLOGY AND DATA LIMITATIONS

This analysis draws on alumni self-reported surveys and structured follow-up conducted in early 2026. Of 653 graduates, 138 responded (21% response rate), forming the study sample.

Graduates were classified using the Tech Engagement Framework, grouping roles into Fully Tech, Partially Tech, and Not Tech categories based on actual job functions. Descriptive statistics were used to identify trend direction and industry absorption patterns.

While the findings in this report provide valuable insight into graduate outcomes, they should be interpreted with an understanding of certain data limitations. Data availability for earlier cohorts is limited, which may introduce cohort bias and reduce the comparability of long-term trends, particularly in the program’s early years. In addition, some graduates provided vague or non-standardized responses, especially regarding the industries in which they are currently employed, requiring the use of broad industry groupings during analysis. As a result, industry-level insights reflect directional patterns rather than precise counts. Ongoing improvements in data collection and response standardization will enhance the accuracy and depth of future impact assessments.

SOURCES

Key Industry Sources Referenced: