A total of 11,412 students from various secondary schools across Nigeria at the weekend sat for the InterswitchSPAK national STEM examination.
InterswitchSPAK is a national science competition aimed at promoting STEM education among Nigerian students.
SPAK, according to Interswitch, is an acronym for Speed, Precision, Accuracy and Knowledge, which revolves around key value areas necessary for a progressive future in today’s knowledge-based society.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the organizers, all students from both public and private secondary schools who registered online wrote the national qualifying examination conducted by NECO at designated centers across Nigeria including FCT, Abuja.
They stated that “47% (5,382) of registered students came from the South-West region. The South-South region had 1,764 registered students, North-Central region had 1,548 registered students, South-East came close to that with 1,362 registered students while the North-West and North-East recorded less than 1,000 registered students.”
It further added that Lagos state topped the list with 2,280 registered students while states like Jigawa and Borno had 12 and 24 students respectively. “It is also interesting to note that registration was equally split between male and female, indicating the strong passion that both sexes have for STEM subjects.”
It noted that students who took the exams conducted nationwide on Saturday were tested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) related subjects, adding that the best 81 students across the country will be selected to partake in the TV quiz competition where 3 students will eventually emerge as winners from the competition.
“These students will be offered scholarships covering their university education, monthly stipend, alongside laptops and achievement trophies.
“Recognition will also be extended to the teachers and schools being represented by the winning students as necessary equipments will be donated by Interswitch to further improve the quality of STEM education in the schools,” the statement read
Earlier at the launch in February, Interswitch’s Group Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Cherry Eromosele said: “SPAK as we have termed it, is a distinctive concept under the Interswitch “Switch-A-Future” initiative. As a mix of education, technology and entertainment which align with Interswitch’s fundamental values of excellence and innovation, this initiative is designed to identify, promote and spark the right support and reward for STEM students and stakeholders.”
“For our youth to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy; they need to acquire the right skill set, their minds need to be re-engineered and reconciled with STEM education in order to compete in or create a job market,” she added.
The overall winner is expected to go home with a N7.5 million worth of 5 years university scholarship while the second and third winners will get 3 years and one year university scholarships respectively, alongside their medals.
