16, 000 benefit from Chevron Agbami medical scholarships

No fewer than 16, 000 students across the country have benefitted from the Agbami Medical and Engineering Scholarships, a social intervention scheme of Chevron Nigeria Limited to encourage the learning of science. Out of the beneficiaries of the scheme which started in 2008, 456 of them graduated with first class honours. The Director, Star Deep […]

No fewer than 16, 000 students across the country have benefitted from the Agbami Medical and Engineering Scholarships, a social intervention scheme of Chevron Nigeria Limited to encourage the learning of science.

Out of the beneficiaries of the scheme which started in 2008, 456 of them graduated with first class honours.

The Director, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Mr. Richard Kennedy disclosed this on Thursday at the Agbami Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) symposium held at the Lagos Business School (LBS).

The gathering designed to advance STEM education was put together by Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, (a Chevron Company) and the Agbami parties– Famfa Oil Limited, the NNPC, Petrobras and Statoil.

He disclosed that the Agbami parties have also spent over N2.5bn on education infrastructure support since 2008.

“We have built, furnished and equipped 33 science laboratories and eight hybrid libraries across the country, which in addition to the benefits to the students, have also empowered 38 local community contractors during their construction,” he said.

Kennedy, alongside other stakeholders and panelists at the symposium, stressed the need for Nigeria to develop the capacity of youths in STEM levels far exceeding what was considered acceptable in the past.

According to the Director, STEM education is what the country requires “to evolve the scientific and technological innovations needed to face the challenges of globalization and build an evolving knowledge-based economy”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Global International College, Mrs. Abolaji Osime lamented that Nigeria’s education curriculum is anchored on abstract learning rather than problem-solving.

She called for a complete overhaul of the education curriculum which according to her, “is so watery”.

“We need to overhaul the whole system. We have to realize that we have a serious emergency in Nigeria”, she added.

Founder, the Teaching Network Foundation, Dr. Dolapo Ogunbanwo who stressed that human existence is driven by science and technology advocated for investment on teachers whom she noted forms the bedrock for the promotion of STEM learning.

“If we don’t address the issues of teachers, we are just throwing money away”, she said.