Three Nigerian robotic teams set for international competitions

Three winners have emerged from the robotic yearly First Lego League (FLL) Nigeria National Championship hosted by Baze University, Abuja.

The competition, which hosted 600 pupils of ages nine to 16, had Team AI Squad from Hillside School, Abuja won the first-place Champion’s Award; team Federal Government College (FGC), Odogbolu, Ogun State, won the second place, while Team Glistobots, from Glisten International Academy, Abuja, won the third place.

The top three teams will represent Nigeria at international tournaments including the World robotic festival at Houston, Texas and International Open Championships in Turkey, Lebanon, Australia and Uruguay.

FLL was formed in 1988 by First and the Lego group for children between nine to 16-year-old to increase interest in science and technology, teach them valuable career and give life skills.
   
This year’s challenge “Into Orbit season”, which was judged in the areas of project, robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship, requires the teams to research and present creative solutions to the real-world.

Speaking on the Initiative, Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said Nigeria has come of age to participate at the world stage in any competition and have shown that they have all it takes to compete at global stage.
 
“The contribution is well acknowledged and the results of this effort will surely enhance study of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) in Nigeria”, he said.

Progamme Coordinator, Olajide Ademola Ajayi, advised students to embrace innovation and critical thinking, while pursuing skills relevant in the future work place.    

Ajayi said the future of work has changed, hence “FLL is a powerful experiential learning program through which students learn grit and perseverance in preparation for overcoming future challenges and making wise decisions in life outside robotics.

It instills and fuels passion for learning new skills and gaining new knowledge in readiness for the future of work.”

Director, Technology and Science Education Department, Federal Ministry of Education, Elizabeth Adedigba, said that STEAM is very crucial in the development of any nation.

According to her, capacity building is germane to determining the way the pendulum of development of any nation will swing in the next decade.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to well-meaning Nigerian and other well-wishers of the education to support this initiative of setting the pace for our future generation,” she added.

The tournament is supported by SAP, Irish Aid, NAPPS and was organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria).

The event is organised annually by Coderina, a not-for-profit organisation that leverages technology tools and computing pedagogy to foster an ecosystem of students and teachers well-grounded in applicability of computing, coding and problem solving techniques.