As a teenager in Nigeria, ‘Gbenga Sesan was once denied access to his school’s computer room because he was “too new” to be trusted around a computer. That moment of exclusion lit a spark a determination not only to master technology but to make it accessible for every young African, no matter their background.
Our Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan told the story in a recent in-depth interview on Safety Detectives. The article, titled “This Nigerian NGO Is Doing What Silicon Valley Couldn’t For Africa,” explores the founding story of Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and the urgent need for tailored, inclusive digital solutions in Africa.
In the interview, ‘Gbenga further reflects on the moment in secondary school that sparked his journey into tech advocacy and how that experience grew into a mission to connect underserved African youth with life-changing digital, financial, and entrepreneurial skills.
Some notable quotes from the interview:
- ‘I saw the huge digital divide that plagues Nigeria–and later, other African countries–and decided to connect as many young Africans as possible with digital opportunities, which should be a right.’
- ‘People who live in rural areas, young people, persons with disabilities and women are mostly affected, and one of the reasons that many people are stuck is the lack of opportunity which ironically is more available online.’
- ‘There were many attempts in the past that focused on giving free devices to people, including a popular $100 laptop project that ended up in the hands of families that sold some of the devices for the next meal. Many of the solutions that did not work were short-term and not focused on building the capacity of beneficiaries of the devices.’
- ‘I want to make sure that no young person faces the embarrassment I was met with in 1991, while in my third year in secondary school, and that no young African gets locked out of digital opportunities because of their location of birth, gender or lack of opportunity.’
From the high cost of mobile data and smartphones to the systemic barriers faced by rural communities, women, and people with disabilities, the interview offers a powerful look at why Paradigm Initiative exists and what drives our work.