Kano State Government in North -West Nigeria, has advocated for strategic investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education to unlock opportunities in Nigeria.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo made the call at the 8th Biennial National Conference of the School of Secondary Education (Sciences), held at the Federal College of Education, Kano.
The Deputy Governor while stressing the importance of creativity, innovation, and critical thinking, highlighted significance of STEM education in approaching problems with a creative mindset and developing innovative solutions.
Gwarzo emphasized the need for modernizing STEM infrastructure in educational institutions, advocating for cutting-edge laboratories and workshops to provide students with hands-on experience in the latest advancements in science and technology.
Speaking on the importance of quality STEM teachers, the Deputy Governor called for continuous training, modern teaching methodologies, and incentives to attract top talent to the profession.
He also encouraged promoting a culture of curiosity and creativity within educational institutions through extracurricular activities, science clubs, and innovation hubs to ignite students’ passion for STEM careers.
On collaboration, Gwarzo highlighted the necessity of a partnership between the government, private sector, and academia to align the education system with the dynamic needs of the workforce.
He also emphasized the need to address gender disparities in STEM fields and unlock the untapped potential of female students.
To illustrate Kano State’s commitment to these priorities, the Deputy Governor highlighted several initiatives, including sponsoring 1100 students for overseas university studies, collaborating with the IDEAS project to train over 490 technical teachers, and recently trained over 159 Master Craft Persons.
“The state government also introduced 68 model science classes in 23 senior secondary schools with an enrollment of 4080 students.”
Also, the Dean of the School of Secondary Education (Sciences), Dr. Abubakar Yusha’u, emphasized the importance of this year’s theme: “Navigating STEM Education towards Unblocking Opportunities in Nigeria.”
“The theme is timely, given the economic challenges faced by the country, and aims to prepare students for high-paying jobs, thereby reducing unemployment and dependence on the government,” he said.
The Provost of FCE, Kano, Dr. Sadi Mohammed Sirajo, represented by the Deputy Provost, Dr. Dauda Sai’du, encouraged participants to thoroughly dissect the problems facing Nigeria due to a lack of focus in delivering STEM education.
He expressed hope that the conference would provide a platform to share outputs and network for the betterment of the nation’s future.
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