More than 3,800 children, parents, teachers, and science enthusiasts gathered in Lagos for the sixth edition of STEM Africa Fest, one of Africa’s biggest science and technology festivals, where young participants gained practical experience in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, coding, engineering, and other emerging technologies. Held at the Landmark Event Centre under the theme “Building Future Innovators,” the event brought together students from over 119 schools and 46 exhibitors, reflecting the growing push to prepare Nigeria’s next generation for careers in the digital economy.
Unlike conventional classroom lessons, the festival focused on hands-on learning, giving children the opportunity to build robots, write computer programs, conduct science experiments, fly drones, and tackle engineering challenges. The immersive experience was designed to transform complex STEM concepts into exciting, real-world activities, helping participants develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills that are increasingly in demand worldwide.
Speaking at the event, STEM Africa Fest Co-founder Jadesola Adedeji said the initiative was created to inspire curiosity by allowing children to learn through exploration rather than memorization. According to her, the vision has always been to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics more engaging and accessible beyond the four walls of the classroom. Festival activities included AI storytelling sessions, coding boot camps, engineering competitions, 3D innovation workshops, mental mathematics contests, chess programmes, drone demonstrations, and the Young Innovators Showcase, where children presented projects they had developed themselves.
Co-founder of 9ijakids and festival organiser Titi Adewusi explained that practical exposure is essential in helping children understand rapidly evolving technologies. She noted that seeing robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing in action gives students a deeper understanding than textbooks alone can provide. According to her, these real-life experiences leave lasting impressions and encourage young learners to pursue careers in science and technology with greater confidence.
The festival comes at a time when Nigeria and several African countries are increasing investments in STEM education to prepare young people for a future shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and digital innovation. Since launching in 2021, STEM Africa Fest says it has impacted more than 20,000 children, parents, and educators across Africa through experiential learning programmes. This year’s edition received support from organisations including 9ijakids, STEM-METS, Golden Penny, Argentil Capital Partners, Access Bank, FirstBank, Lebara, Nigerian Breweries, VDL Technologies, and Iwosan Health Systems, reinforcing the growing collaboration between the public and private sectors to build Nigeria’s future technology workforce.
source: punch
