11,412 students sit for InterswitchSPAK national exam

No fewer than 11, 412 students from various secondary schools across Nigeria sat for the InterswitchSPAK national Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) examination.

The national science competition aimed at promoting STEM education among Nigerian students saw smart and determined students across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory sit for the qualifying exams to show their Speed, Precision, Accuracy and Knowledge.

The winner of the national completion would get a cash prize of N7.5 million and a five-year university scholarship.

According to a statement by the organisers, all students from both public and private secondary schools who registered online wrote the national qualifying examination conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) at designated centers across Nigeria including Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The stated that the registration for the national exam, which opened in February and ran through April 2018 recorded a total of 11,412 applications from all over the country cutting across single-sex and co-educational senior secondary schools.

They stated that 47 percent (5,382) of registered students came from the South West region. The South-South region had 1,764 registered students, North-Central region had 1,548 registered students, South-East coming close to that with 1,362 registered students while the North-West and North East recorded less than 1,000 registered students.

It further added that Lagos state topped the list with 2,280 registered students while states like Jigawa and Borno had 12 and 24 students respectively.

“It is also interesting to note that registration was equally split between male and female, indicating the strong passion that both sexes have for STEM subjects.”

It noted that students who took the exams conducted nationwide on Saturday were tested in science, technology, engineering and maths related subjects, adding that the best 81 students across the country will be selected to partake in the TV quiz competition where three students will eventually emerge as winners.

“These students will be offered scholarships covering their university education, monthly stipend, alongside laptops and achievement trophies. Recognition will also be extended to the teachers and schools being represented by the winning students, as necessary equipment will be donated by Interswitch to further improve the quality of STEM education in the schools,” the statement reads.

Recall, the Group Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele said the SPAK competition is a mix of education, technology and entertainment, structured to promote excellence and innovation and most importantly, secure the future of Nigerian students by encouraging them to focus on STEM education while rewarding them in the process.