Nigeria’s AI Push Gains Momentum As Thousands Of Children Learn AI And Robotics

Over 3,800 children, parents, teachers, and science enthusiasts recently converged at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos for the sixth edition of STEM Africa Fest, one of the continent's largest gatherings dedicated to practical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Under the theme "Building Future Innovators," the festival drew participants from more than 119 schools and featured 46 exhibitors. Unlike traditional classroom instruction, the event encouraged children to build robots, write code, conduct science experiments, and solve engineering challenges, allowing them to experience firsthand the technologies shaping the global economy.

Co-founder of STEM Africa Fest, Jadesola Adedeji, explained the vision behind the initiative: "Children are naturally curious. We simply asked ourselves what learning would look like if they had the chance to explore, build, and discover things for themselves." Activities included coding boot camps, drone demonstrations, AI storytelling sessions, engineering competitions, 3D innovation workshops, and a Young Innovators Showcase.

Titi Adewusi, co-founder of 9ijakids and organiser of the festival, emphasized the importance of practical exposure: "If they're learning about robotics, we want them to build one. If they're learning about artificial intelligence or 3D printing, we want them to see what those technologies look like outside the pages of a textbook."

"700 young people from Kwara State engaging with AI, robotics, coding and engineering in a single weekend reinforces exactly why we show up across nine African cities, year after year. Every child in that room is a future builder. Our job is to make sure they know it." – Titi Adewusi, Co-Convener of STEM Africa Fest

The Lagos event was preceded by a two-day programme in Ilorin, Kwara State, where 700 students and 130 teachers received hands-on training in AI and robotics at the Ilorin Innovation Hub.

The training included a Mini AI Bootcamp where secondary school students learned to use generative AI tools to build games and websites, with one student successfully developing a website for a proposed business.

Additionally, 130 teachers underwent intensive training on learner-centred teaching methods aimed at improving STEM education delivery.

Since its inception in 2021, STEM Africa Fest has reached more than 20,000 children, parents, and educators across Nigeria and other African countries. The festival is supported by a range of partners including 9ijakids, STEM-METS, Access Bank, FirstBank, and Nigerian Breweries, among others.

This push for early STEM exposure aligns with the growing recognition that future careers require deep digital literacy. As the World Economic Forum predicts that 85 percent of jobs that will exist in 2030 have not yet been invented, initiatives like STEM Africa Fest are crucial for equipping Nigerian children with the skills needed to become active innovators rather than passive consumers of technology.