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  • STEM education catalyst for Nigeria’s economic development, innovation — NACETEM boss

    STEM education catalyst for Nigeria’s economic development, innovation — NACETEM boss

    The Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), Dr. Olushola Odusanya, has stated that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is crucial for Nigeria’s economic development, innovation and global competitiveness.

    Odusanya made the assertion yesterday during a sensitisation programme for secondary school teachers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    Speaking on the theme, ‘Capacity Building for STEM Subject Teachers in ICT-Based Pedagogy and Content Development’, he emphasized the importance of STEM education in Nigeria’s development and to equip teachers with the necessary skills to deliver ICT-based STEM education.

     “STEM is critical for the country’s economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness in the global arena.”

    Odusanya stressed that STEM literacy is essential for addressing Nigeria’s developmental challenges, such as poverty, healthcare, and infrastructure.

    Odusanya, however, said Nigeria’s STEM education landscape faces significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and a shortage of qualified teachers.

    To address these challenges, he said the nation must prioritise teacher capacity building and development.

    Odusanya stated: “This programme is designed to enhance the capacity of our secondary school teachers in ICT-based pedagogy and content development.

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    We believe that by empowering our teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge, we can improve STEM education outcomes and better prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century.

    “Today, our facilitators will engage you in interactive sessions, workshops, and hands-on activities designed to equip you with the skills and confidence to integrate ICT into your STEM teaching practices.

    “We are committed to supporting our teachers in their professional development journey. We believe that our teachers are the backbone of our education system, and their capacity building is essential for delivering quality education.

    “I would like to express my gratitude to our facilitators, organisers, and participants for making this programme a reality. I am confident that this programme will have a positive impact on STEM education in Bayelsa State and beyond.”

    In his presentation, Dr. Bello Abdulhakeem, of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, from the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, implored STEM subject teachers to upgrade their teaching methods through ICT based knowledge and understanding of the science subjects to the students.

    According to him, the capacity building for the STEM subjects can also be built through the different apps in Google to make teaching easy and understandable to the students.

    Dr. Abdulhakeem pointed out that Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are related.

    In his presentation Dr. Usman Bello, of the same university, titled, ‘Technological Capability and Innovation in Stem Subject’, spoke about group collaboration in learning, through which students would follow up better.

    He urged teachers to be sensitive enough to know whether students understand what they are being taught and if not, teachers should go back and take it afresh for the students to understand.

    The sensitisation programme drew participants from select secondary school teachers in Yenagoa.

  • NACETEM hosts workshop to inspire Adamawa students on technology careers

    NACETEM hosts workshop to inspire Adamawa students on technology careers

    The National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) has organized a technology career sensitization workshop for senior science students from selected secondary schools in Adamawa State.

    Themed “Educational Outreach Program for Secondary Schools in Career Technology,” the workshop aimed to encourage students to embrace self-employment by acquiring skills for self-sufficiency after graduation.

    Seventy students from 14 schools participated in the one-day event held in Yola, where four resource persons guided them on transforming ideas into profitable ventures in the knowledge-driven economy.

    The programme emphasised leveraging technology for entrepreneurship, steering participants away from dependence on scarce white-collar jobs.

    One of the resource persons, a lecturer at the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Dr Abdulmalik Usman Bello, told the students, “There are many ways to make money without relying on government or big companies to give you salary jobs.”

    He urged the students to begin to motivate themselves right away on how to create solutions to problems and make money in the process.

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    On his part, Dr Alhakeem Bello, also of the African University of Science and Technology, advised the students to condition their minds against the job seeking bandwagon and take opportunities that the evolving world of technology offers.

    “Map out your own plan and be intentional about it,” Alhakeem said, explaining that young scholars are called by modern exigencies to develop clear ideas and be generally innovative. 

    In a press Interview on the side of the workshop, the Head of Research Department of NACETEM, North East Zonal Office, Engr Chinda Amos said NACETEM, an agency charged with developing Nigeria’s technological manpower, found it necesaey to sensitize students to try their hands on careers in technology because the world is now about technology.

    Amos explained that NACETEM’s capacity building programs are designed to address knowledge gaps in the country.

    Some of the participants of NACETEM’s workshop on careers in technology workshop in Yola