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Photo:
Meetup
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Nigeria is set to
participate at the First Global Robot challenges with 149 other nations, in a
competition is scheduled for July 16 to 18th in Washington, D.C. United States
of America (U.S.A.)
The
Guardian Nigeria report continues:
The
competition was founded by philanthropic inventor, Dean Kamen, to inspire a
passion for science and technology leadership and innovation among the world’s
more than two billion youths. First Global provides the framework for an
Olympics-style robotics event that drives home the importance of obtaining the
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills needed by future
leaders to overcome the greatest challenges facing our world – today and
tomorrow.
Kamen
said: “By engaging the students of the world in a collaborative competition to
help solve the world’s most pressing problems, FIRST Global inspires students
to learn the skills they will need to make the discoveries their parents and
grandparents would consider miracles, fantasies, or just plain science
fiction.”
Commenting
on the event, the National coordinator of the programme in Nigeria, Mrs. Remi
Willoughby, said: “We need to fully address the evident deficit in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics in our educational system. Research has
shown that children will rather take courses in arts and commercial subjects
than these ones. Unfortunately this is not helping us. The government needs to
find a way to encourage more students to take these courses in the secondary
and tertiary institutions.”
Speaking
further, Willoughby said: “We have gathered some of the best students in
robotics to represent Nigeria in Washington. These students were picked based
on their interest and performances in past competitions in Nigeria and
internationally. We look forward to an exciting outing.”
The
Managing Director, Aramex Nigeria, and co-sponsor of the First Global project
in Nigeria, Faisal Jarmakani, described the opportunity as “timely”.
According
to him, “Nigeria needs to find its place on the global map of technology in
developing countries. Without any doubt this competition will dictate the
future of technology advancement and we are seeing it happen in our very own
eyes.”
He
hinted that the decision to co-sponsor, with his brother Omar Jarmakani, is
based on the need to encourage the youth to embrace technology and robotics.
“This will further ignite their passion and bolster their skills – emboldening
them to become mentors, advocates and professionals in the area of STEM in
Nigeria.”
The
students who are presently based in a tech studio were picked from different
schools in Lagos. Many of them have represented Nigeria in similar competitions
in the past.
According
to Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the College of Medicine, University of
Lagos, Soga Sofola, also a national coordinator of the First Global Olympics,
the students have been spending time together since January. They have been
trying to master the rudiments of Robots design through tutorials in maths,
physics and engineering including programming especially using Java, carried
out by competent instructors. They have also started building their robots
since the arrival of the components, a couple of weeks ago.
Willoughby said plans are in place to present the students and the entire First Global team to the Ministry of Science and Technology at both the state and federal level.
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