From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The Federal Government has inaugurated the North-West Zonal Centre for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Kano state.
The event was flagged off on Tuesday at the Government Secondary School (GSS), Rano Local Government Area of Kano state.
The AUTHORITY reports that an e-Library was also commissioned at the Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, by the Ministerof Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Among the items installed at the STEM centre in Rano included: 25 All-in-One Desktop PC 24inch Screen Intel 2.8 GHz quad-core, 25 Desktop tables and Chairs, one Projector of 5000 lumens, one magnetic white board for learning, one WiFi Routers multi-SIM and 18 Elegoo Robotics set.
According to the Minister, the STEM project was conceived to provide technical platform that would aid modern teaching and learning on Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics to students in some carefully selected Federal and State-owned science and technical secondary schools nationwide.
She added that, “the aim of STEM is to provide e-Learning facilities through the establishment of a State-of-the-Art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and modern teaching content, to serve as a one-stop-shop environment for students in public secondary schools to have access to digital and updated learning materials in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, while also developing their ICT skills including the use of the internet for various purposes.”
The minister, who was represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, further stated that the STEM project has two components -the setting up of the centres in the selected secondary schools and the training of the teachers in the schools selected.
She added that, “while STEM centres are established to give students of secondary schools the opportunity to have practical experience in digital learning platforms, the training component focuses on building capacity of teachers in secondary schools to significantly enhance learning of STEM which is the foundation of digital economy.
“The programme is designed to equip and transform STEM teachers to deliver digital literacy through training, mentoring and provision of devices to aid teaching.”She, however, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s determined focus towards the development of young Nigerians in digital economy, which she said, the STEM project targets at.
Farouq urged Kano state to make the best use of the equipment which are to aid modern teaching and learning on Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics to students in the digital world of today.
Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Usman Alhaji, commissioned the Northwest STEM project and commended the “foresight” of President Buhari for the programme, urging the school children to concentrate on the learning of Science and Technology courses.
Ganduje said, “the STEM centre will be a source of development, not only to the people of Rano but the entire people of the region.”
Kano State Commissioner for Education, Muhammed Sa’idu Kiru, however, promised that the state government will make judicious use of the centre.
