APEN Hosts Coding, Robotics Contest for Basic Schools

The Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN) has hosted and announced the winners of its 2025 APEN Artificial Intelligence (AI), Coding, and Robotics Competition.

Themed “Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Cities Hackathon,” the competition brought together thirty teams of young students from private primary and secondary schools across Nigeria. Participants were divided into three categories to showcase innovation and creativity.

Spanning over six weeks, the competition began with an onboarding session on May 23 and culminated in a grand finale on July 3 at Role Model School, Lagos.

Sponsored by Role Model School and supported by technical partners including STEMi Makers of Africa and Imperial EdTech, the contest was structured into three categories: Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form, with a total of 30 teams from APEN member schools.

Mrs. Olufunke Fowler-Amba, Administrator at Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls and Chairperson of APEN’s Advocacy Committee, said the competition was not just about winning awards or building the fastest robot, but also about the journey it took the teams to get there.

“I think about the late nights spent brainstorming, the moments of frustration when things didn’t work, and the thrill when they finally cracked the code. Those moments are where growth happens—where resilience, teamwork, and the power of perseverance are birthed. I must say, I am incredibly proud of each team’s effort,” she said.

Grace Akinyemi, Acting Administrator of APEN, noted that the projects showcased reflected what is possible when students are equipped with the right tools and mentorship. “The feedback system deployed at the initial stage of the competition was a deliberate effort to ensure learning never stopped. It is about building the next generation of problem solvers, beyond today’s awards,” she added.

The competition underscored APEN’s commitment to advancing education through innovation, sustainability, and purposeful learning.

Esha Ogbazi, Partnerships Lead at STEMi Makers of Africa, said the organisation was proud to have contributed to the competition, emphasising that science, technology, innovation, and the empowerment of educational institutions remain its core investment areas. She further stated that the objective of STEMi’s partnership with APEN was to encourage educators and students to develop Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-aligned solutions to challenges in precision farming, sustainable urban food systems, resource-efficient agriculture, waste management, and energy consumption in urban environments.

For the project, STEMi provided the evaluation rubric and also deployed judges who assessed the students’ performances throughout the three stages of the competition. “We are proud of these achievements, and we remain committed to creating an enabling environment where students can develop technologies that drive innovation and build their communities with sustainable practices,” Ogbazi added.

Each competition category focused on real-world challenges aligned with the theme of sustainability and innovation. The primary school category was tasked with designing a smart home watering system. The secondary school category tackled an Internet of Things (IoT) smart waste bin challenge, while the sixth-form category focused on designing a smart traffic light system.

The challenge progressed through three stages, with the first two conducted virtually. In Stage 1, teams submitted concept previews outlining their project execution plans. Judges from STEMi and Imperial EdTech reviewed these submissions, scored them, and provided individualised feedback to guide improvements. This learning-driven approach continued into Stage 2, during which teams developed and submitted working prototypes. Following another round of evaluations, 15 teams advanced to the final stage.

At the grand finale, each team presented their completed projects live before the judges and an audience. Solutions were assessed based on credibility, creativity, and effectiveness. Ultimately, seven winning teams were announced across the three categories, emerging as champions of innovation and technical excellence.

In the primary category, Bowine International School came first, MD School came second, and Princeton Schools took third place. In the secondary category, Halifield School won first place, Grace High School came second, and Atlantic Hall finished third. The winner of the sixth-form category was Oxbridge Tutorial College.