ExxonMobil Foundation, in collaboration with Junior Achievement Nigeria, has unveiled its Africa’s premier Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEM, quiz competition for students in Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC.
The participants, who are drawn from six government secondary schools in AMAC, will seek to foster innovation and excellence in STEM education.
Organisers say the students will have the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and problem-solving skills in various STEM disciplines and general knowledge through interactive quizzes and engaging activities.
Speaking at the launch of the event, on Thursday in Abuja, Shane Harris, Chairman/Managing Director of ExxonMobil Subsidiaries in Nigeria, said the initiative represents the company’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of Nigerian leaders and innovators.
“Through this initiative, we aim to inspire, educate, and empower young minds to pursue careers in STEM fields, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to thrive in the global economy of today and tomorrow.”
Harris who was represented by Nigel Cookey-Gam, General Manager Public and Government Affairs, noted that the future of every nation is dependent on the leaders you raise, adding that, “STEM is the area that you see that the world is going. Everybody’s talking about AI, and you have to ground your children in that to be able to compete effectively.
“What we want to do is encourage STEM development in our students. Statistics tell you that fewer people, especially females, don’t take up STEM subjects. So, you need to encourage them from the ground up.
“All over the world, you see most countries, they have, from a young age, they’re building them and developing them, nurturing them, and that’s how you get inventors, you get scientists, people who invent things, and change the course of humanity.
“We’ve spent over 30 billion. We’ve done scholarships, we’ve done projects in schools. “This STEM Africa is across Africa, so we’re doing it in Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia.
“We’re expecting that this program will touch at least 3 ,000 students across the four countries. And this is more like a pilot. It’s not the end”he said.
Also Speaking, Acting Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Olaolu Akigun, stated that the ExxonMobil Foundation STEM Africa project is a transformative journey set to revolutionize the way we approach education.
“What sets this partnership apart is its power-packed approach; the empowering stages to stimulating experiences, every aspect of this project is designed to engage African students aged 12-17 and inspire them to tackle real-world challenges using STEM.
“Remember, STEM competitions are taking place across 5 Local Government Areas in Abuja, offering you the chance to represent your community at a major regional industry conference in Cape Town, South Africa. But beyond the competition, the most important thing is to keep learning and growing!
“And it’s important for young students in Nigeria, especially those in senior secondary school, to pursue STEM careers, because this is a critical area that can help them to contribute to the global economy through providing solutions.
“Eventually there will be an innovation camp that will take place much later around June, July, where the winning schools from the five local governments that are participating in the project will come together for an innovation camp where they will touch design thinking, critical thinking, and they will also have a chance to be mentored by experienced ExxonMobil staff as a way of inspiring and preparing them for the future.”
He added, “There will be a regional event in Cape Town, South Africa, where the winning team… South Africa where the winning school from Nigeria will be representing and they will join in other colleagues and contemporaries from Namibia, Angola and Mozambique at that event.”
The Africa’s No1 STEM QUIZ Competition featured subjects that are critical to biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics,which most of the questions are centered around, including general knowledge.
Students from Government Secondary School Wuye, Safiya Ibrahim, 14, Ugaji Uneko,14 and Adebimpe Oluwapelumi,14, won the 6 rounds of intense quiz to win against 5 other government schools in AMAC.
The three students who represented their school expressed excitement for winning the feat and said they should prepare better for the next level of the Innovation Camp.