Ife Ogunfuwa
Experts say the application of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in solving Nigeria’s problem will improve the economic status of the country.
The business professionals, who spoke at the InterswitchSPAK 2.0 masterclass in Lagos, said there was a need to redefine the STEM education of Nigerian students in order to equip them to solve problems creatively.
Participants at the Masterclass were made up of the top 81 pupils out of the over 13,322 students from various private and public secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, who wrote the National Qualifying Examinations in April.
In her welcome address, the Group Head, Corporate Segment, Corporate Marketing, at Interswitch, Enyioma Anaba, said that the masterclass was an integral part of the InterswitchSPAK project because the sessions were designed to inspire the young people to contribute to solving Africa’s many problems.
She said, “We brought together these 81 brilliant young minds to draw from the experiences and insights of accomplished thought- leaders, thinkers and professionals, who are leading lights in their respective spheres of influence and who are practical advocates of innovation, as a platform for social and economic development. We hope that the interactions during the sessions will provide them with the right mental and emotional foundations upon which to build their character for the long haul.”
The Group Managing Director / Founder, Interswitch Group, Mitchell Elegbe, noted that to become successful in life, one had to be trustworthy.
He added that trustworthiness was a culmination of ability, integrity and benevolence.
“While it is wrong for the under-privileged to demand equity as a right – as that is extortion – it is important that the privileged have a mindset of equity, that allows them to share from their abundance. It is with this mindset of equity that prosperous communities are built and the fight against corruption is won,” Elegbe said.
Other speakers at the masterclass were Managing Director / Founder, Flying Doctors Nigeria, Dr Ola Orekunrin-Brown, who spoke on the topic: ‘Entrepreneurship – creating sustainable impact by solving social problems.’
Orekunrin-Brown shared the story of how she started Flying Doctors and the challenges she surmounted, reiterating the need for basic financial literacy for budding entrepreneurs.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, who was represented by the Project Manager, Enabling Business Environment Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President, Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, spoke on the topic ‘Collaborative approach to social innovation’ and why it was important to think creatively and critically in addressing social problems.
The Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele, disclosed that as a progressive organisation, Interswitch had the interest of the young African talents at heart.
She said, “For Africa’s youth to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy, they need to acquire the right skillsets; their minds need to be re-engineered and reconciled with STEM education as well as introduced to other softer skills which are not readily taught in the classrooms. At Interswitch, we are creating a platform that allows them to not only compete within a job market that is globalised, but to become catalysts for the creation of job markets in themselves.
Interswitch said its InterswitchSPAK Switch-a-Future project was launched in Kenya and the inaugural masterclass for the finalists held in Nairobi.
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