Held at the Vantage Point Event Centre in Lagos, the hybrid Karibu event welcomed over 400 tech enthusiasts to ALX’s diverse community. 

The excitement was palpable as special guests and eager learners arrived, with a photo booth capturing some of the joyful moments and techies recording video content from the day. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) games added to the exhilaration, as participants immersed themselves in cutting-edge gaming experiences.

The formal proceedings were led by Seun Babajide-Duroshola, the Marketing Manager of ALX Nigeria, and Ruby Igwe, the General Manager of ALX Nigeria. Ruby, in a light-hearted tone, clarified the event's name, "Karibu," which means "Welcome" in Swahili – not "Kabiru," a Hausa name in Northern Nigeria. This set the tone for the event, which was all about initiating a new cohort of learners into ALX’s world-class tech programmes and soft skills development.

“ALX aims to transform the future of Africa by building the largest pool of trained technical professionals and enabling 2 million ethical and entrepreneurial young leaders to secure dignified and meaningful work opportunities by 2030,” said Ruby. She then introduced new learners to ALX's core values, which are courage, humility, adventure, initiative, and resilience.

Next, the hosts thanked the Mastercard Foundation for its partnership with ALX, making its training programmes more accessible to future tech enthusiasts. 

Fred Swaniker, the CEO and founder of the ALX, delivered an inspiring speech, emphasising the critical role of technology in Africa's development, the need for technical skills, and the importance of women in the tech industry.

He stressed ALX's motto to “Do Hard Things” and shared the importance of embracing challenges as a path to big rewards.

The spotlight then shifted to previous learners, who shared their experiences and challenges faced during their ALX training.

Chisom Ukachukwu, Daniel Dohou, and Nonso Ugama shared their journeys, their biggest challenges in the ALX training and how they were able to overcome them.

Next, Gavin Peter, the VP of Community and Culture at ALX, excitedly welcomed guests from across the African continent. Learners from each country waved their flags in a live video broadcast, which drew cheers from the audience.

This welcome session allowed learners to acquaint themselves with the ALX community and prepare for the upcoming blended session with peers from hubs in cities across the continent, including Accra, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Nairobi, Kigali, Johannesburg, and Casablanca. New learners from 28 states across Nigeria also joined in on the celebrations via a live-streamed video call, including ALX learners from Kaduna, Abia, Rivers, Ondo, and many more.

Special guests Olusegun Oyetunji, CEO of Digivate 360 and Noah Banjo, Senior Editor at TechCabal, also joined a fireside chat on stage, engaging in a lively conversation hosted by Ruby Igwe.

Segun reminded new ALX tech learners to "Always learn and keep learning," while Noah encouraged the audience to “Always feed your curiosity.”

Balancing work and play, attendees enjoyed fun games throughout the afternoon, making new friends as they interacted and engaged with one another, with winners receiving plenty of exciting prizes.

The event concluded with a stirring video presentation that highlighted the power of community, perseverance, and the importance of doing hard things. This was followed by a torchlight session, where learners were reassured that they were never alone on their journey, and guidance would always be available when needed.

Seun and Ruby closed the event with a final speech, as new learners were showered with confetti to mark their successful inauguration into ALX.

The Karibu event was an unforgettable experience, reaffirming ALX as the leading destination for those eager to join the tech revolution and pursue their aspirations in the global technical workforce. Enrol in any of their tech programmes today and embrace the future with confidence. 

Karibu!

For more information about its courses or to find out more about ALX, please visit www.alxafrica.com and follow their Instagram page @alxnigeria.