About · The Road Map

Where We've Been,
Where We're Going

Six years of building. Here is an honest account of how BSA grew from a single cohort in Lagos to a national presence, and what comes next.

BSA Timeline

2018

Founded

The Beginning

Alero Thompson founds Blue Sands Academy in Lagos with a single conviction: that the gender digital gap in Nigeria is a solvable problem, and that solving it starts with training. The first cohort of secondary school girls completes BSA's foundational digital skills programme.

2019

Breakthrough

National Recognition

BSA students compete at the national level for the first time, defeating 150+ schools in the Mandela Washington Alumni Network ICT competition and 200+ schools in the National Girls in ICT Competition. BSA is featured in Times Square, New York City.

2020

Adaptation

Surviving the Pandemic

As COVID-19 forces schools to close and threatens to push girls further from education, BSA pivots to online delivery. The One Girl One Laptop Initiative is expanded, ensuring students who receive training are not left without tools to continue.

2021

Expansion

Reaching Rural Communities

BSA extends its Economic Empowerment of Rural Women programme into underserved communities across Ogun State. The Tech Fingers platform begins development, creating a pathway to scale BSA's curriculum beyond physical locations.

2022

Scale

Six States

BSA's programmes now reach women and girls across 6 states in Nigeria. A second STEM Lab opens, and BSA receives recognition from NITDA and UN Women for sustained impact in digital inclusion.

2023

Platform

Building Infrastructure

Development of the BSA edtech platform accelerates. Partnerships with government agencies and private sector organisations deepen. Over 5,000 women and girls trained to date.

2024–2026

Next Chapter

The Road Ahead

BSA is building toward a national network of STEM Labs, a fully deployed online learning platform, and partnerships with universities to create clear career pathways for graduates. The goal: 50,000 women and girls trained by 2026.

Be Part of What Comes Next

The next phase of BSA's growth depends on partnerships with organisations that believe in what this work is building. If that is you, let's talk.

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