Segun James
The United States Consulate General in Lagos recently sponsored more than 500 high school students from underserved communities of Agege, Alimosho and Ifako-Ijaiye in Lagos Education District one to participated in a series of STEM workshops.
During the workshops, the students learned how to build, program, and fly drones, computer coding, solar panel assembly, weather balloon technology, cell phone repair, artificial intelligence, and coding of video games.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the program held at Government Senior College in Agege, the US Consulate Public Affairs Officer, Stephen Ibelli, explained that the initiative was designed to stimulate the interest of the participating students in math and science, as well as careers in the STEM fields.
“The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is committed to supporting programs that provide youth with access to quality technological learning opportunities,” Ibelli said.
“In a world that’s becoming increasingly technology-driven, it’s more important than ever before for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to become innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our world, both today and tomorrow.”
Ibelli explained that the series of workshops were part of the U.S. Mission’s ongoing efforts to promote STEM education in Nigeria. He noted that ensuring access to opportunities in STEM fields drives innovation and create conditions for a more prosperous society.
In his remarks, co-founder of Global Air Drone Academy, Eno Umoh, highlighted the importance of equipping students with the requisite skills to be successful in the 21st century global economy.
Umoh explained that an education to develop tech skills places students on track to acquire such STEM enabling competencies like critical and computational thinking, collaboration and creativity that has lifelong advantages.
“All we need is the spark that will inspire the students’ curiosity and interest in science and math that can lead to career opportunities in STEM fields,” Umoh added.
The capacity building program tagged “Global Air Drone Challenge for Students” was led by instructors from U.S.-headquartered Global Air Drone Academy in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education.
The Global Air Drone Challenge for Students builds on the five-day Global Air Drone Challenge for Teachers which introduced 50 teachers from Agege, Alimosho and Ifako-Ijaiye to the best practices in implementing an integrated approach to teaching STEM in the classroom.
