Florida-Based Nigerian-born Onyema Ajuogu and Founder/President of Benignant STEM Innovation Foundation is a trained Aerospace Engineer/Pilot. Onyema has traversed many countries including Central America, teaching young girls how to embrace science. As she launches the Nigerian version of STEM education, she spoke with journalists on her mission and why Nigerian government should introduce STEM into the school curriculum.

While facing life’s adversities, there was a propelling force that ignited her hope. It was a childhood dream she had at age eight. She was in the backyard of her village in Umudihe, Orlu when an airplane flew over the house, which captured her imagination. Growing up, she used to be curious and there was something inside assuring her that one day, she would fly an aircraft. It was something she kept to herself.

Fulfilling her kept childhood ambition was a tall dream due to lack of funds, but she didn’t give up. After secondary school, she re-awakened her desire to be a pilot.
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Through browsing, she got some information about how to apply to come to United States to get admission and visa. “I read so much about piloting. In the process, I stumbled on more challenging courses related to that which is Aero Space Engineering and that captured my interest. I went for TOEFL/SAT, an examination that you take to gain admission to come to the United States. I wrote the examinations and many schools sent me invitations to apply. I applied and came to the USA to fulfill my dream. I found my way out of Nigeria to America in 2004 where I studied Aero Space Engineering. I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in Florida,” she recalls.

Onyema has always been a charitable person and, at this stage of her life, she wants to use her engineering profession to connect and impact lives. Having preached the gospel of science in many countries around the world including Guatemala and Peru in Central America where she teaches young girls how to embrace science, she is set to introduce Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to Nigeria through the Ministry of Science and Technology on the platform of Benignant STEM Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit innovative organization that is committed to inspiring young women and providing educational opportunities. The focus is on developing countries and underserved group in developed nation. She believes STEM is a tool that can help start development in developing countries.

“I am not involved with the federal government per se but because of my interest for the country to develop knowing that I have held STEM workshops in many countries, engaging young ones to get involved in science. I travelled to Nigeria to meet the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. He was interested and asked me to write a proposal. It is still on-going.”

“Every school should have curriculum that includes STEM project. These days, it is not all about what you learn in the classroom, it is the experience you put into it. An experiment that can expose them to basic STEM concepts would go a long way to get students interested in STEM fields, a hands-on activity that can spark their interest in STEM. And finally, a hope to use those skills acquired and incentives that comes with it in form of paycheck.
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For those who do not know, she explains the meaning of STEM: “STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM is a unique approach of teaching and learning, but Benignant STEM Innovation Foundation, is a nonprofit innovative organization that is committed to inspiring young women and providing educational opportunity. The focus is on developing countries and underserved groups in developed nations.

This STEM advocate believes in its importance so much that her organization is focusing on developing countries where technical development needs to come in. “STEM is not only a matter of social justice, but a matter of a nation’s economic prosperity and wellbeing. If you look at history, every developed nation like United States has embraced STEM education that brought them to where they are today.”

Onyema stresses: “I believe STEM education must be incorporated into Nigerian education curriculum. You know talented students are not entering this field because they have not been exposed to it much and lack of opportunities after graduation and role models are definitely an obstacle for these young students.

They need to be shown what it is and the benefits they can get going into these STEM fields. The development of any nation is measured by the advancement in infrastructure, technology and the service sectors such as public transportation. With a lack of STEM-skilled workers in the country, it is impossible to bring about this development. The root cause of this problem lies in the education system and the system in which we retain skilled workers.”
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She continued: “STEM is the future. It is important because it pervades every aspect of what brings development for a nation. STEM professions build communities and transform nations. Science should be identified as a national priority, but science teachers can’t do it all on their own. A lot of importance needs to be given to STEM education in the country. We need to provide the right kind of opportunities for students who wish to pursue their education in STEM, we need to show more faith and fully support intelligent students in the country. We need to inspire more young people to get into these advanced degree fields in STEM. While doing so, we also need to rethink the system in which we retain highly qualified STEM workers in the country.

“Many of the STEM skilled individuals leave Nigeria for better employment opportunities in developed countries such as the USA and UK, as a result what gets left behind is just human services. We need to implement a strong system, which allows us to retain this highly qualified population. The overall goal must be to create a sustainable system/plan, which allows for an increase in the number of STEM workers in the country. Nigeria is ripe for actual development, which cannot happen outside or without STEM skills.”

She also enjoined corporate organizations to throw their weight behind the project saying: “The scale of the STEM crisis has grown far beyond the resources and capabilities of government and the school boards alone. Much like climate change, STEM education now requires “all hands on deck,” with the corporate world driving much of the systemic change required. U.S. corporations are now investing $350 billion annually in STEM education, more than 100X the scale of President Obama’s unprecedented $3 billion STEM initiative. Companies from all sectors have now made STEM education for 21st-century jobs their #1 corporate citizenship initiative. Many more companies invest deeply in STEM education as a means of innovating and surviving in the marketplace.