Ministry directs schools to join FLL Robotics competition

The Federal Ministry of Education, (FME), has indicated that from next year all the 104 Unity Schools will participate in the First Lego League (FLL) national robotics championship competition.

FLL was brought to Nigeria by Coderina Education and Technology Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation and supported by SAP.
Now in its sixth edition in the country, the 2020 competition themed: “City Shaper” was organised by Coderina in collaboration with the ministry and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) with supports from SAP; National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA; Irish Aid and the Baze University in Abuja.

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, said the decision to allow all Unity Schools’ participation is meant to strengthen critical and computational thinking among students.

Children aged nine to 18 years numbering about 1000 and 50 teachers drawn from 60 schools participated at this year’s national championship with Metra 101 Team, an all-girls team from FGGC, Ikot Obio Itong, Akwa Ibom state emerged overall champions.

On his part, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the Director of eGovernment Development and Regulation (eGDR), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, earlier while delivering the keynote address said that NITDA is saddled with the responsibility of developing and regulating the use of Information Technology in the country, which has contributed immensely to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said, “Building creative young minds will bring out the potentials embedded in the teeming youths, making them to have the basic Information Technology foundation at an early stage”.

According to the DG, “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the fundamental pillars and the next oil of the nation that will be playing a pivotal role in the growth of the economy.”