A non-governmental organisation, Education and Empowerment Centre for Women (EECW) has called for the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education for girls in rural areas in Kaduna State.
The EECW project coordinator, Mr Ben Dankaka, made the call during a science-themed schools debate in Kagoro, Kaura local government area.
EECW organised the debate under its Laraba Deyjih Akapson Science Innovation Prize for Girls initiative.
Dankaka said the initiative sought to educate and empower young girls in rural areas who have limited access to STEM education and resources.
“The Laraba Deyjih Akapson Science Innovation Prize for Girls is an initiative by EECW, established in honour of the late Mrs Laraba Deyjih Akapson.
“She was the mother of EECW founder, Senator Nenadi Usman, and lived a life dedicated to serving others.
“To continue her legacy, this initiative seeks to bring STEM learning to girls who wouldn’t normally have access to it.
“Since girls make up a large portion of Nigeria’s population, it’s important to provide them with more opportunities to learn about science and technology.
Dankaka stated that the focus on STEM had become necessity as a result of the lack of adequate awareness about it, especially in rural areas.
“Right now, not many students in Africa, including Nigeria study STEM subjects especially compared to countries like China and India.
“In Nigeria, fewer than 25 percent of students choose STEM, and only a small number of them finish with STEM degrees,” he added.
The guest speaker, Mrs Gillian Ashio, Head of Department, Technical Education, Kaduna State College of Education, delivered a paper titled “The Future of Education: How Young Innovators Can Change The World”.
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