Nigerian-Born Canadian Student Awarded Micro-Grant To Empower Tech Education For Young People

Nigerian-born Richard Nonso is among the recipients of the Tomorrow’s Leaders Starting Out (ToLSO) program, a micro-grant for young Canadians.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Starting Out 

ToLSO is a project delivered by Nigerian Canadians for Cultural, Educational, and Economic Progress (NCCEEP).

Launched in December, ToLSO is a micro-grant for young Canadians aged 15-30, funded by the Canada Service Corps.

Offering a $5,000 micro-grant, it aims to empower young Canadians to create action-based projects that make a lasting difference in their communities.

Although the program is available to grant candidates of any background, NCCEEP member and program manager Ayodele Adefala believes supporting the enterprising efforts of young people of color is particularly important.

Meet Richard Nonso

Arriving in Windsor only a few years ago to go to University, Nonso was among the recipients who received a $5,000 micro-grant.

Nonso is using the money in an online hub to help Grade 12 students find an academic pathway to a career in technology based on their interests.

“I believe his grant is going to be very beneficial to help me kick-start the project. I’ll be able to get support from a developer to help me actualize what I’m planning to build online,” Nonso told CBC News.

His journey inspired Nonso’s tech project after initially studying business but deciding mid-way to switch to computer science.

“I realized that computer science is one of the ways to leverage an entrepreneurial mindset to where the world is going,” he concluded.