By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
As part of its effort to improve the Nigerian Education System with STEAM Learning, four Edtech companies namely; 9ijakids, STEM-MET, Edufun Technik, Lagos STEAM UP and Access Bank have pledged to invest more on STEAM education.
STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, helps in facilitating children’s exposure to modern technology by investing in STEAM education because children have the potentials to become inventors and innovators.
Stakeholders acknowledged that STEAM has brought significant shift in the country’s educational landscape.
According to them, this is the ‘Jet Age,’ where bright young minds must their energy and aptitude to work in order to generate innovators who can solve global challenges. Four companies have been able to invest in STEAM Fun Festival, a project based and problem-solving approach to education and learning, in order to foster creativity, innovation, and value creation in both children and adults.
Organisers of STEAM Fun Festival have pledged to use this year’s programme to expose children to happenings around the world, away from classroom experience in a collaborative means.
The four Edtech companies are led by Jadesola Adedeji of STEM-MET, Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu of Edufun Technik, Titi Adewusi of 9ijakids, Wale Ogunjobi of SabiTeach and the Lagos STEAM UP Initiative, headed by Adetola Salau.
The Executive Director of 9ijakids, Titi Adewusi, said the fun festival is designed to prepare children for the future challenge by equipping them with set of problem-solving and digital skills.
She said the 2nd edition of the programme is slated for July 23, 2022 and has the theme: “STEAM From Classroom to the Real World”, which would explore various aspects of STEAM including robotics, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, Internet of things, coding, animation, graphics design, games, and fun science experiments.
Adeeusi said, “STEAM is the foundation for modern-day economic growth and equipping young children with the required skills that is critical if Nigeria wants to reap the benefits of a digital economy.
According to her, the event is meant to spark the love for STEAM education and would be graced by experts and seasoned speakers like Tele Aina, Nkem Begho, Oluwaseun Hamzat, Tolu Olowofoye, Kunle Adenmosun and Oremeyi Akah of Interswitch.
Other speakers, who will speak at the programme include Golibe Eze-Echesi, Emmanuel Oyelakin, Tomide Odusote, Hugo Obi, Martha Alade Michelle Ijomah and Mary Jane, amongst others.