By Mustapha Salisu
The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Comr. Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo has called for a strategic investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education as a key to unlocking opportunities in Nigeria.
He made the remarks in his keynote address on Tuesday, 16th January 2024, at the 8th Biennial National Conference of the School of Secondary Education (Sciences) held at the Federal College of Education, Kano.
PRIME TIME NEWS gathered that STEM education emphasizes the importance of creativity, innovation, critical thinking and essential skills by approaching problems with a creative mindset and developing innovative solutions.
The Deputy Governor further highlighted the importance of modernizing STEM infrastructure in educational institutions, advocating for state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops to provide students with hands-on experience and exposure to cutting-edge advancements in science and technology.
He equally stressed the importance of quality STEM teachers and advocated for continuous training, modern teaching methodologies, and incentives to attract top talent to the profession.
Gwarzo also called for fostering a culture of curiosity and creativity within educational institutions. He suggested encouraging extracurricular activities, science clubs, and innovation hubs to spark passion and drive students towards STEM careers.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, the Deputy Governor stressed the need for a partnership between the government, private sector, and academia. Such collaboration would ensure that the education system aligns with the dynamic needs of the workforce. While equally highlighting the need to address gender disparities in STEM fields and unleash the untapped potential of female students.
To illustrate Kano State’s commitment to these priorities, Comr. Abdussalam highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the state government.
Photo Credit: Sadiq Khalifa, Press Unit, Office of the Deputy Governor of Kano State.
“We have sponsored 1100 students for overseas university studies, partnering with the IDEAS project on Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills to train over 490 technical teachers. With a view to providing training solutions to SME owners, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s led Government recently trained over 159 Master Craft Person and also introduced 68 model science classes in 23 senior secondary schools with an enrollment of 4080 students” the Deputy Governor revealed.
Delivering his welcome address earlier, Dr. Abubakar Yusha’u Z, the Dean, School of Secondary Education (Sciences) and also host of the National Conference explained it has been the tradition of the school to organize National conference on current theme that is crucial to the survival of Nigeria as a Nation.
Photo Credit: Sadiq Khalifa, Press Unit, Office of the Deputy Governor of Kano State.
Emphasizing on this year’s theme “Navigating STEM Education towards Unblocking Opportunities in Nigeria”, Dr. Abubakar stressed the theme is relevant and timely as it comes at a time when the country is in economic drift. It will prepare students for high-paying jobs by providing them with knowledge and skills required to excel in this competitive world. And by extension, reduce the rate of unemployment and dependence on government.
Also in his address, the Provost of FCE, Kano, Dr. Sadi Mohammed Sirajo, represented by the Deputy Provost, Dr. Dauda Sai’du, disclosed the 8th Biennial National Conference of the School of Secondary Education (Sciences) is expected to offer a ready platform to share outputs, network with other researchers for the betterment of the future of our nation.
The Provost however implored participants to dissect as much as possible the problems facing Nigeria and by extension, globally which were brought about due to a lack of focus in delivering STEM education.
