Four former participants in the CSED Initiative’s Sporting Coders pilot programme have gained admission to Nigerian universities, the Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative confirmed in a recent press release.
READ ALSO: Why ITTF Replaced Fatimo Bello as ITTF World Cup Begins in Macao
The Sporting Coders project, which combines netball training with computer coding instruction, was run over 12 weeks at Tare Pet Montessori Group of Schools in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The successful alumnae and their degree courses are:
Victory Woyengipreye Gesiye – Medicine, Afe Babalola University (2024/2025)
Wisdom Alaere Nathan – Political Science, Niger Delta University (2024/2025)
Chloe Woyengidoubara Gesiye – Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University (2024/2025)
Victory Peremoboerei Wenibowei – Microbiology, Rivers State University (2025)
Programme co‑manager Catherine Sasuode praised the pioneering cohort:
“These young women have shown that, with the right support, they can excel both on the netball court and in STEM fields. We’re immensely proud of their achievements.”
Sporting Coders was designed to address the under‑representation of girls in STEM by leveraging netball—a sport once nearly extinct in Nigeria—as a gateway to digital skills. Netball coaches Funsho Ekundayo and Victoria Allison Ayebaifie, together with IT teacher Humphrey Okonkwo Nnaemeka, delivered the hybrid curriculum. School proprietor Mrs Victoria Ebimenere Mologe’s investment in IT infrastructure underpinned the project’s success.
During the programme, each of the 21 students received a ₦10,000 educational voucher and free lunch on the twelve Saturdays of training. True to its commitment, CSED has awarded ₦50,000 to each of the four alumnae upon university admission.
A CSED trustee outlined future expansion plans:
“We’re planning a Sporting Coders rollout at St. Maria Goretti Girls’ Grammar School in Benin City later this year, and UNN Secondary School Nsukka is next in line. We also hope to reach netballers in IDP camps at Uhogua and the Cameroonian refugee community in Ogoja, working closely with local authorities and UNHCR to ensure sustainable delivery.”
With seven members of the Tare Pet netball team now in their final year of secondary school, CSED has pledged to extend its ₦50,000 university‑admission grant to any additional Sporting Coders who secure tertiary places.
This milestone underlines the initiative’s dual mission: to empower the girl child through sport and to bridge gender gaps in technology education.
