In a move to nurture the next generation of innovators, the ExxonMobil foundation in partnership with Junior Achievement Africa has kicked off the 2025 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Africa programme, targeting at least 1,500 students across secondary schools.

The initiative aims to inspire, educate and empower young minds to pursue careers in STEM fields, equipping them with knowledge, skills and confidence to become future innovators and leaders.

Ugonna Achebe, executive director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, speaking at the kick-off of the programme in Abuja which also featured quiz competition involving five schools said the programme aims to reach over 1,500 students.

He explained that the aim of this programme is to enable students to have the necessary skills and resources to make an impact through STEM.

“Students who participated in this programme last year are not participating in this program. This is a totally new batch of students, because our aim is to ensure that we reach as much students as possible, equip them with the necessary skills to become conscientious business leaders and digital-savvy youths”, he said.

“Our aim is to ensure that we improve students’ critical thinking skills, their collaboration skills, because at the end of the day, it’s what we feed the students that will enable them to have the capacity and the growth to make an impact in our nation”, he added.

Shane Harris, chairman /managing director of ExxonMobil subsidiaries in Nigeria, represented by Nigel Cookey-Gam, community relations and operations manager explained that the foundation decided to back the programme because it observed that STEM is an area many children don’t want to do, especially girls. “So, we’re focused on building interest and encourage them”, he said.

Harris, also noted that the foundation is not executing the programme in Nigeria alone, but is running it in four countries at the same time, including Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, and typically everywhere ExxonMobil operates.

“At every point it’s all about exposure for them. It’s not just about winning, it’s about being exposed, developing their capacity in the area of STEM”, he stated.

Giving a breakdown on the impact of the programme so far, he said the programme has reached over 6,000 students across Africa through weekly STEM quizzes, zonal competitions and hands-on innovation camps.

“The programme also significantly narrowed participating students knowledge gap on STEM topics, particularly in Nigeria, where students recorded 212% improvement on their STEM knowledge quiz scores”, Harris further said.

He informed that at the end of the 2024 edition of the programme, students who deliver the most promising STEM solutions will be selected to represent Nigeria at the regional industry conference in South Africa.

In a goodwill message, Maria Okhilo, director, M&E, representing the director-secretary, FCT Secondary Education Board, Mohamed Sani applauded the initiative, stating that students in the capital city have gained significantly in scientific innovation and entrepreneurship education.

“Our students have broadened their innovative scientific horizons. We are particularly grateful that our children can look at things and the environment in a very different way because of their interactions with you”, the secretary said.