Thrills as DIGITEST 2018 camp closes amidst funfair

Participants at this year’s DIGITEST an annual creative camp and competition for young people between ages eight and 18 will not forget in a hurry their experience at the annual programme.

DIGITEST is an ICT based camp and competition for young people, a flagship programme of Digital Peers International (DPI), that has run annually for 16 years in various states across Nigeria’s geo-political zones and in some countries around the world.

The theme for DIGITEST 2018 tagged “Selling Without Borders” was birthed on the realisation that digital marketing has formed the backbone of the world’s economy today having become a medium of communication and a skill that everyone should have irrespective of their job profile.

Beyond Information and Communication Technology, DIGITEST is a platform for impacting young people with the culture of leadership, career guides, entrepreneurship and cognitive development.

At DIGITEST 2018, participants were trained to become self-sustaining through leveraging trending digital marketing tools to sell anything and profit largely in the global market.

Participants at this year’s Summer Camp came from different parts of the country with great expectations about having a fantastic time ahead and were handed their DIGITEST 2018 camp kit by the DIGITEST National Coordinator (DNC), Mrs. Ibukun Odusote.

The DIGITEST 2018 Summer Camp opened in a grand style with a host of delegates from different parts of Nigeria among whom were the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the DIGITEST National Coordinator, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, DPI’s Board of Trustees Representative, Engr. Adeolu Odusote, Prof. Sola Aderounmu, Prof. Ladi Osasona, Pastor Tunji Agboola, the Executive Director of BAYI, the General Manager, News, and the team from NTA.

At the ceremony, a lot of important personnel engaged the participants, accompanied with words of appreciation, supports and assurance of a positive achievement from the camp by the DIGITEST National Coordinator, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote.

After the 2018 edition of DIGITEST was officially opened, participants posed for pictures with the delegates, and few got interviewed by the NTA news team. Indeed, it is delighting to say that the grand opening ceremony was totally a success.

Participants also received lectures on various topics on digital marketing classes which were impactful as the topics covered the core areas needed to achieve a successful digital marketing training.

The lectures were hands-on and participants were divided into three categories: The Junior category headed by Mr. Imam Abdulrasaq, Senior category taken by Mrs. Chidinma Aroyewun and Teacher category by Mr. Olalekan Oni.

Renewable energy classes were taken by facilitators from BAYI and the lectures majored on following areas which include Resistance value increment, Current/Voltage Abstraction and Energy dissipated measure in WATT.

Participants were also guided on how to install and execute renewable energy projects and were taken on a life planning and career choice sessions by Mr. Precious-Jay, who took the audience into an insightful journey on self-identity.

The session gave most listeners perspective and the desire to look inwards to fetch the rich deposit of each individuals’ potentials. Afterwards, resource persons from BAYI gave a little group work on success and failure decisions in life.

There were also religious activities at the camp as weekend at DIGITEST 2018 camp experienced an array of religious activities starting with the Jumat service, then an uncommon church service which was held in the camp with Pastor Dare Adekunle, who led the Christian participants into depths of God’s Word with the topic, “Sacrifices from God”.

The saying “All Works Without Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy” played out as the DIGITEST National Coordinator, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, led the entire participants to an exciting place where they saw God’s natural gift to mankind “Olumirin water fall.”

Mr. Kehinde Osewa carefully narrated the discovery of the waterfall, and said that the ancient body of water was discovered by a woman called ‘Yeye Aye’ who happened to be a daughter of Oduduwa. He also said that the Olumirin waterfall has seven steps and three major falls.

It was a pleasure dinning with the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Professor A. S. Bamire and the University Librarian, Dr. F. Z. Oguntuase and other dignitaries who were present.

Participants also received a royal welcome from the Ooni of Ife, His imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

The participants were received into the Palace of the Ooni by one Chief Idowu, who received the delegation with the narration of historic culture and heritage of the palace and Ile-Ife as a whole.

Later that day, the Ooni of Ife himself, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, came out to receive and address his special guests as he called the participants. He also narrated the cultures and customs of Yoruba land and Ife and continued with entertaining questions asked by the children.

At the end, he sincerely appreciated the visit and was amazed by the questions asked by the children. It was a wonderful experience, pleasure speaking and taking group and personal pictures with the Ooni of Ife.

Participants during computer training

There was also a special event tagged EDUTAINMENT which provides a platform for educational fun and gaming activities such as quiz and debate competitions. The quiz was successful and the winners who emerged from Zenith house were Akinbami Philips and Adenekan Tobiloba, while the Debate also ended with OAU house as the winning team, Abimbola Zenith and Ajibola Semilore.

Teacher’s team were not left out as BAYI house, Adegoke-Adefeliu Tosin finished well as winners of the debate competition.

Indeed, it is always exciting to experience the content of the brains behind the beautiful faces and glamourous outfits as Mr. & Miss. DIGITEST pageantry also featured on camp.

The 2018 edition has raised the bar with awesome personalities, beautiful hearts, wonderful outfits, splendid atmospheres and electrifying questions that determined to a large extent the contestants who eventually emerged as winners of Mr. & Miss DIGITEST2018; Melody and Feranmi.

Highlight of DIGITEST 2018 was the prize giving to the winning teams in the senior, junior and teachers’ categories.

With so much excitement, the winning teams came up stage to receive brand new laptops and many more gifts.

Mrs. Ibukun Odusote and Digital Peers International, the organiser of DIGITEST, seek to empower more young people with skills that will enable them create global solutions for tomorrow and solve the peculiar challenges in our society today.