Five Hearing-impaired Nigerian Girls Shine at Global Tech Summit

Five hearing-impaired secondary schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Kuje, Abuja, have emerged as global finalists at the 2026 Technovation Girls World Summit in Bengaluru, India, with an artificial intelligence-powered application designed to improve access to menstrual products.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Technology Beyond Disability Initiative, the team, known as the STRIM Girls, presented their innovation, Saving Pad, after competing against thousands of teams from more than 160 countries.

It added that the team comprises Adegbile Teniola Vivian, Sulaiman Maryam Adenike Isah, Moses Joy, Ukpapi Theresa Uzepi and Yusuf Ruth, and was mentored by the initiative.

The girls developed Saving Pad to help students locate nearby sanitary pad banks, request menstrual products and access menstrual health education, particularly addressing the challenges faced by deaf girls and students with disabilities.

Explaining the motivation behind their innovation, the girls said, “Because when a girl’s period starts, the question should never be: ‘What am I going to do?’ It should be: ‘I know where to go.’”

The application features an interactive map for locating pad banks, a request system, period tracking and menstrual health education. It also enables coordinators to monitor supplies and receive alerts when stocks run low.

In partnership with the Deaf Women Aloud Initiative, the team has launched a pilot programme across three special schools in Abuja, with plans to expand to primary healthcare centres and vulnerable communities nationwide.

The platform is also designed to help non-governmental organisations and donor agencies track product distribution, monitor demand and coordinate the restocking of sanitary pad banks.

At the global summit, the girls demonstrated how accessible technology and community-based support could help address menstrual health challenges while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on good health and well-being, quality education, and partnerships.

On their return to Nigeria, the girls received a welcome at the airport led by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, and members of her management team.

Deborah Tolu-Kolawole

Deborah Tolu-Kolawole is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with four years of experience covering Nigeria’s vast education sector as well as related areas such as politics, health, security, and labour. She blends rigorous reporting with digital storytelling to bring clarity and insight to complex issues affecting learners, educators, and policymakers. Deborah was a nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize in Journalism, recognising her impactful reporting and contributions to Nigerian media. Her work reflects strong newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism. In addition to her reporting, she is fluent in multiple languages and serves as a contributing member of The Punch editorial board.