He, therefore, urged students to take the initiative to launch startups, develop innovative applications, and boost productivity across various sectors.
By doing so, Kyari believes that students can make a significant impact on the economy and become the visionary leaders and game-changers of the future.
The minister spoke during the end of term students solution hackathon organised by KNOSK N100-a-day school, Kuje.
The event with the theme, ‘Innovation to Reduce Farm Produce Wastages Among Local Farmers’, was organised in partnership with Emadeb Foundation.
Represented by Dr. Dare Olorunmola, the minister stressed the importance of empowering students to drive national development, particularly in the agricultural sector.
He stated that agriculture has a crucial role in Africa’s economic growth, food security, and sustainable development.
To address the challenges facing the sector, he called for investments in education and skills development.
He said: “By integrating agriculture into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, we can equip young minds with the knowledge and tools to revolutionise the agricultural sector. This approach will enable them to develop cutting-edge technologies and solutions that will enhance productivity and resilience in farming systems.
“Collaboration between governments, the private sector, and entrepreneurs is also critical. By investing heavily in agricultural research and development, we can overcome key challenges faced by farmers, including climate change, inadequate inputs, weak extension services, and limited resources. With these efforts, we will be better equipped to build an agricultural sector that is both sustainable and competitive.”
In their separate goodwill messages, the Vice-Chancellor of Prime University, Abuja, Prof. Moses Zaruwa; Rion Magan of the Embassy of Ireland as well as representatives of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Amnesty International lauded the founders of KNOSK School, Kingsley and Irene Bangwell for the initiative, adding that the solution hackathon would help solve some of the pressing challenges confronting the country.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, who delivered a pre-recorded message, spoke in the same vein, promising to sponsor some children at the next academic session beginning from January 2025.
On her part, the Executive Director, Emadeb Energy Group, Olugbesoye Olujimi, noted that the programme has instilled an entrepreneurial mindset in the students, focusing on developing problem-solving skills.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of cash prizes and certificates to winners. While Marble Enterprise (64 points), Blazing Innovative Solvers (61 points) and Investors (57 points) emerged first, second and third Junior winners respectively, Fixers Infinito (64 points), Mega Thinkers (61 points) and Alpha Dynamite (60 points), came out as gold, silver and bronze winners in the senior category.
