Three Nigerian students to take part in World Adolescent Robotics contest

Three secondary school students will represent Nigeria at the World Adolescent Robotics Competition in China.

The students – Tawakalitu Giwa, Oluwaseun Omotayo and Ayomide Adetunji — will fly Nigeria’s flag at the event organised by the China Association of Science and Technology.

The students, NAN reports, were part of Nigeria’s team to the FIRST Global Robotic Olympics in Washington DC in 2017. The team was sponsored by Aramex and Doculand Nig.

Faisal Jarmakani, managing director of Aramex and Doculand Nig, announced the invitation at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday.

He said they were selected based on their performances at the FIRST GRO at which Nigeria placed 25th out of 163 teams from 157 countries.

Nigeria emerged third of the 41 African countries which participated.

According to Jarmakani, Nigeria and Gabon are the only African countries invited for World Adolescent Robotic Competition in China.

He said the competition scheduled to take place from July 20 to July 24 would be on ‘Water Problem’.

“Without any doubts, we will soon join other countries of the world where science and technology have become the backbone of economic development,” he said.

“In the next few years, they will become global icons paving the way for other children to follow, if they keep getting the right support.”

Remi Willoughby, national coordinator of the programme, said Nigeria was gradually establishing itself in technology.

“Nigeria is slowly but gradually establishing herself on the map of technologically developed nations. This is an indication that progress is being made,” Willoughby said.

“We have the right talents to compete successfully on the global stage and move Nigeria to a technology advanced nation, but we need the right support and encouragement.

“We need to quickly address the evident deficit in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in our educational system.”