By Maryam Abeeb
The Executive Secretary of National Senior Secondary Education Commission, NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi has stress the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education for learners to be able to compete globally.
Dr Ajayi emphasized this during his welcome remark at the Maiden Edition of the Annual National Science and Technology Project Exhibition for Senior Secondary School learners held in Abuja.
He explained that science and technology have become an integral part of the world’s culture and any country that overlooks this significant truism does at its own peril.
According to him, STEAM Education is a worthy platform to prepare the country’s youths for challenges ahead in a highly technological world.
He stated that learners must develop the skills necessary to find solutions for the challenges in the complex work of life.
“I believe that exhibition of this nature is essential for the development and growth of our learners as regards TVET and STEAM Education. It provides a platform for the learners to demonstrate their creativity, problem-solving skills and innovations. Learners must develop the skills necessary to find solutions for the challenges in the complex work of life.
“We are living in a world where science and technology have become an integral part of the world’s culture and any country that overlooks this significant truism does at its own peril. Hence, STEAM Education is a worthy platform to prepare the country’s youths for challenges ahead in a highly technological world. I want to stress here that international competitiveness is increasingly being defined in terms of ability to access, learn, adapt, utilize and innovate from available technology. In other words, nations that fail to innovate lose their competitiveness,” he noted.
The Minister of State For Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, during keynote address at the event explained that poor economic performance of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is linked to the poor application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to development.
According to him, in today’s knowledge society, countries that are making the necessary developmental strides are those that have embraced STI through focused and committed investment in STEAM education.
He noted that technology transfer from the advanced countries to developing countries is not an easy task, adding that there is need to channel a reasonable percentage of our resources to developing STEAM & TVET education in Nigeria.
“Having gone round all the different exhibition stands, Iam proud to say that Nigeria is on the right track towards technological development. But this can only be achieved if all the relevant stakeholders encourage and invest in our youth’s creativity and innovations. That explain why NSSEC invited some of the relevant stakeholders to inspect the innovative projects by our learners.
“On this note, I want to call on the stakeholders to assist in developing and commercializing these projects for Nigerian use as these will invariably reduce unemployment and insecurity in our nation. This undoubtedly, will serve as a great motivation for our students as well as an inspiration to others who will participate in the subsequent editions,” he said.
