By Lami Bawa
The Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Minna, has kicked off the 2025 edition of its flagship STEM outreach programme, “Summer with DOME.” The two-week initiative, which runs from August 4 to 15, is being held at SNEPCO Hall and the Advanced Engineering and Innovation Centre (AEIC), Main Campus.
Backed by a grant from IEEE Try Engineering, secured through FUT, Minna’s IEEE student chapter, this year’s programme features two concurrent tracks:
“She Inspires STEM: Summer With Her”, tailored for girls, with over 80 participants receiving training in AI and drone technology.
“Next-Gen Innovators”, introducing 80 students aged 9–18 to IoT and embedded systems through hands-on learning.
Declaring the event open, Dr. Taliha Abiodun Folorunso, Head of Mechatronics Engineering, highlighted the programme’s impact
” This initiative reflects our commitment to community development and youth employment through STEM. Building on the success of 2024, we have expanded our research with greater student involvement this year”, he said.
The programme is supported by academic oversight from the Advanced Engineering Innovation Research Group, led by Dr. Abubakar S. Ahmad and Dr. Jibril Bala, ensuring the technical content meets academic standards.
Programmes leads Aisha Adebanjo and Abdulshukar Abdulrahman highlighted efforts to promote gender inclusion and hands on problem solving.
Participants, mostly from secondary schools in Minna and children of FUT, Minna staff, are engaging in projects such as water level indicators and traffic light systems using Arduino, as well as Scratch programming, AI models, and drone piloting.
The initiative will wrap up with a project showcase and certificate award ceremony, celebrating the students’ achievements and hands-on innovations.
