No fewer than 13,000 Nigerian students selected from 14 Secondary schools across the country have benefitted from National STEM Initiative, The Inspire Project, a digital innovative/scientific learning programme for selected Secondary Schools in Nigeria.
The programme comes with knowledge and skills acquisition in Robotics, Coding, 3D Printing, Artificial intelligence and other scientific and digital innovations.
Coming under the auspices of Innovation, STEM, and Partnerships for Inclusive and Relevant Education, the Inspire Project is a collaborative effort implemented by PanAfricare in partnership with the Tech-Women Nigeria Alumni Association (TECHWOMEN), and the ExxonMobil Foundation.
Speaking at its innovations challenge/problem-solving programme at MO Arena, Abuja on Tuesday, the country Director of PanAfricare, Dr Patrick Adah, said the programme was part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7) initiative for human capital development especially on youth innovations, affordable and clean energy.
He said the programme was designed to ensure that students not only have theoretical knowledge of innovations, but are exposed to practical, hands-on competencies required for the 21st-century.
Dr Adah said, “Across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, this initiative has redefined what is possible within public secondary school STEM education.
“Through a strategic partnership between ExxonMobil Foundation, TechWomen Alumni Association Nigeria, and PanAfricare, we have revolutionized STEM education in 14 secondary schools across the country.
“In addition to institutional interventions, the project directly enrolled 700 student beneficiaries, demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion, equity, and access.
“Of these beneficiaries, 65% were female and 35% male, reflecting a deliberate effort to close the gender gap in STEM participation and empower young girls as future scientists, engineers, and innovators.
“Furthermore, 3% of the beneficiaries were students with disabilities, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive education and ensuring that STEM opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of physical limitations.”
The Country Director said in partnership with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, some equipment have been deployed to schools to aid teaching and learning, stressing that about 13,000 students have been provided structured access to experiential learning environments.
“Students are no longer passive recipients of theoretical instruction; they are now active experimenters, problem-solvers, coders, roboticists, and innovators. They are designing, prototyping, testing, and refining the very processes that drive scientific discovery and technological advancement.” Dr Adah said.
“Following the intervention, our evaluation showed that student interest and engagement in STEM education increased significantly from 40% to 88%, while interest in pursuing STEM careers rose from 38% to an impressive 91%”, the Country Director said.
Also speaking, the President of TechWomen, Dr Carolyn Seaman expressed delight at the presentations made by students of selected secondary schools in Abuja, saying that some of their innovations have shown the success of the programme across Nigeria.
According to Seaman, the programme has bridged a critical gap in STEM education, reaching the underserved and empowering girls as well as students with disabilities.
” We have moved the needle of student interest in STEM from a baseline of 40% to a staggering 88%, ensure inclusive Innovation where our classrooms are now vibrant hubs of diversity, with 66.1% female participation and the successful inclusion of students with disabilities.
“We have transformed teaching, because the 105 teachers who once described our training as “transformational” have now fully integrated 3D printers, robotics, and ARNR into their daily instruction”, Seaman said.
Seaman commended the support of the government, ExxonMobil Foundation, and PanAfricare for the success recorded so far, and encouraged all the partners to consolidate on the gains already achieved as more areas are still to be covered.
