By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The fifth edition of the prestigious annual STEM-focused initiative targeted at young Africans, InterswitchSPAK National Science competition, has commenced, and the winner will receive N7.5 million in scholarships for a five-year period, a laptop and monthly stipends.
The organisers of the programme, in a statement, also disclosed that the first runner-up would get N4 million in scholarships for three years, a laptop and monthly stipends, while the second runner-up is assured of N1 million in scholarships for one year, monthly stipends and a laptop.
In addition, according to the statement obtained by Business Post, there will also be mentoring opportunities with senior Interswitch employees, as well as other exciting prizes.
Tagged InterswitchSPAK 5.0, the contest aims to discover and nurture young students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, with the goal of building a knowledge-based society and promoting sustainable development in Africa.
InterswitchSPAK provides a platform for students to showcase their academic prowess in STEM subjects and compete for various exciting prizes, including university scholarships.
It is open to all senior secondary school students between the ages of 14 and 17 in public and private schools in Nigeria,
During the course of the competition, contestants will be taken through various qualifying rounds, including online assessments and a national qualifying examination leading to the semi-finals stage. This will be followed by a grand finale where the finalists will compete for the ultimate prize.
This year’s special edition will offer a prize pool of over N14 million, an increase from the usual N12.5 million, as the competition aims to reward more winners than ever before. The increase in prize money will see over 100 students and teachers rewarded instead of just the top 3 winners.
Furthermore, InterswitchSPAK will also purchase JAMB e-PINS for 54 contestants to enable them to register for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination free of charge. These initiatives are a testament to InterswitchSPAK’s commitment to nurturing young talents in STEM and providing them with opportunities to excel in their chosen fields.
The Group Managing Director of Interswitch, Mr Mitchell Elegbe, said, “InterswitchSPAK is a celebration of our commitment to promoting STEM education in Africa and empowering the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.
“As we commence the fifth edition, we are delighted to have reached this milestone in the competition and assure Africans that more students across the continent will have access to quality STEM education through InterswitchSPAK.”
This year’s competition, being a commemorative edition, promises to be more exciting as well as educative. Over the past four editions, the competition has seen remarkable success stories of students who have emerged as winners and have gone on to make significant contributions in various STEM fields.
Speaking during the launch of this year’s edition of the programme, the Executive Vice President for Group Marketing and Corporate Communications at Interswitch, Ms Cherry Eromosele, said, “We are excited to kick off this edition of InterswitchSPAK particularly because it’s been five years of visible impact. This highlights our focus on inspiring and empowering innovative young minds to drive progress in STEM and shape the future of Africa and the world at large.”
On his part, the Group Managing Director of JustMedia, the technical partner of the InterswitchSPAK initiative, Mr Oladapo Ojo, said, “Working on InterswitchSPAK over the years has been an incredible journey for JustMedia.
“We are proud to be a part of this initiative which seeks to promote academic excellence and STEM education among secondary school students in Africa. Our team has been fully committed to providing technical support to ensure the success of the competition, and we are excited and looking forward to the fifth edition of this laudable project.”
InterswitchSPAK was birthed as a platform to engage and empower young Nigerians to become future leaders of innovation, and the initiative’s consistency over the years is a demonstration of Interswitch’s commitment to its vision of promoting STEM education in Africa. The company believes that by nurturing young students in STEM subjects, it can contribute to building a sustainable and prosperous future for Africa.
All eligible students and schools are encouraged to visit https://www.interswitchspak.com/ for more details about participating in the competition as this year’s search for the best STEM student begins.
