Extensive
conversations in different spheres, and on various media channels have
culminated in a consensus – that Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) play an integral role in economic growth, both regionally
and globally; and given current trends, especially in the field of technology,
one cannot but recognize the truth in this belief.
By harnessing
the power of technology, communication has become democratized, and the world
has come to be described as one big global village. Through advancements in
science, new medical solutions are developed to address various medical issues,
ranging from mild to severe conditions. Engineering, on the other hand,
leverages other aspects of STEM and creates innovative solutions among other
useful infrastructure. Finally, mathematics also serves us with knowledge
useful in understanding the workings of economies, delivering insights to
players in the world of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Basically, these subject areas work hand-in-hand to produce life-changing
innovations useful in today’s world.
Recognizing and
championing this reality is Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital
commerce company, Interswitch, which, through its Switch-a-Future initiative,
created the National Science Competition dubbed, ‘InterswitchSPAK’ designed to
encourage the uptake of STEM courses by students in Nigeria and other African
regions.
During the
competition, students between 14 and 17 years old, who are full-time secondary
school students, are required to participate in a national qualifying
examination, after which the best 81 students are selected to partake in the
second stage of the competition – the TV Quiz programme.
The students are
tested based on their Speed, Precision, Accuracy, and Knowledge – or SPAK for
short. At the end of the show, the top three contestants are presented with
scholarships spread over a stipulated period, among other exciting gifts like
laptops.
Interswitch has
stated that one of the top reasons for creating the show was a genuine concern
at the depreciating interest in STEM by students, and the desire to promote ‘sound
education in Africa’, empowering young Africans to make career decisions along
the line of STEM. It also highlighted the importance of these subjects in the
development of lives on the continent.
To inspire more
African students, the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition was expanded
to Kenya, where it has, to date, run for two seasons, alongside the show in
Nigeria, which has had three (3) successful seasons. While the show’s values
remain the same, the formats vary. In Kenya, the top 500 students are selected
from across the country and the best 54 students advance to the next stage of
the competition. The winner receives, in scholarships, 1.5 million Kenyan
shillings, while the second and third place winner receive 750,000 and 150,000
Kenyan shillings respectively.
There is no
doubt that the evolving challenges faced by Africans, and their counterparts
globally, have been resiliently tackled by solutions brought about by
individuals and organizations in the STEM field. We remain witnesses of the
geniuses manifested in many of the products created by STEM.
To ensure that
the current crop of young Africans is not left behind in the race to leverage
STEM in forging change, the InterswitchSPAK initiative was introduced to
advance the study of STEM and incentivize these students, equipping them with
the needed tools to design the blueprint that will ultimately change the
narrative of the African continent.
The need for
increased penetration of STEM studies in Africa cannot be overlooked, as
experts worry about the shortage of a skilled labor force to fill vacant
positions in STEM-related professions. It is believed that through concerted
efforts to apply the knowledge of STEM, Africa is positioned to experience
sustainable growth.
While the buck
stops at the table of regulators to encourage an increased uptake of STEM
courses by creating awareness across schools, other private corporations can
also step in and play supportive roles in passing this important message, a
move already taken by Interswitch, as it seeks to switch the future of Africa
and its inhabitants.
