PRIMARY and secondary school students in Lagos have been motivated to change the world with the use of science and technology at the 2017 Science Fair event for female students. The event, which was organised by the Science Ambassadors Foundation, SAF, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, sought to increase the desire for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEM, in the participants.

The event was also an attempt at the Guinness World Record in science education for the girl child. Peace Nnabugwu, country director, SAF, Nigeria, while emphasising the need for the growth of STEM in Nigeria, stated that a critical analysis of the 10 most industrialised countries in the world shows the impact and importance of science and technology on health, transportation, communication and in the production of everyday consumer products.

“Unfortunately, due to poor funding of research and experiments, the teaching and learning in the field of science and technology in Nigeria has declined over the years. Also, the increase in the use of alternatives to practical in the teaching of STEM subjects has made the learning of science more difficult. It is therefore important for government to encourage schools in providing STEM learning in order to solve existing problems,” she said.

In his Keynote address, Toyin Ashiru, group managing, Tri-continental Limited, urged the participating schools and students to take STEM careers seriously, saying it produces professionals that build communities, transform nations and solve complex problems in today’s world and the future. “For our nation, investing in the future of STEM is a priority. We must begin to appreciate scientists and innovators even more than we celebrate musicians and actors.

“We need to encourage the students to understand the merits of taking as many Mathematics and Science courses as possible and those courses need to be taught by engaged and enthusiastic teachers using hands-on and minds-on activities.”

Over 50 schools were represented at the event which also featured live experiment on metals using Dalic Technology. The fair also featured a panellist discussion which looked at the advent of science in the 21st century in comparison with science in the 19th and 20th centuries

—  Jul 03, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT