Students representing Nigeria at the 2022 First Global Robotics Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland, have showcased the country in a great light, bagging the third position.
Following a demonstration of the values of the First Global Community, displaying professionalism and building bridges along with other contestants, Team Nigeria was awarded a bronze medal for the Dr Mae Jemison Award for International Unity.
The Nigerian team comprising students from different secondary schools across the country participated in the global competition, which took place from October 13th-16th, displaying their tech skills alongside other students from over 40 countries.
This year’s theme, tagged ‘Carbon Capture’, was designed to re-emphasise the common aim of capturing and reducing carbon from the environment through simulation methods.
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Represented by five students, Team Nigeria comprised Samuel Olaiya of Igbobi College Yaba; Tofunmi Olusodo of Supreme Education Foundation schools; Abdul-Qoyyum Oyadeyi of Oxbridge Tutorial College; Taimiyyah Abdullahi-Aliyu and Famidah Yussuf, both attending Heritage Home Schools.
Team Nigeria’s participation was facilitated by the Managing Director of Aramex, Mr Faisal Jarmakani, a philanthropist who is known for his multiple corporate social responsibility initiatives centred on fostering the education of underprivileged youths.
Speaking with newsmen upon their return from the global robotics contest, the high-flying students expressed gratitude to their sponsor for his support. They also appreciated their school management teams, who shortlisted them to represent the nation at the contest, alongside their coaches and mentors who adequately prepared them for the global robotics challenge.
Team Nigeria’s Project
The bronze medalists explained that they were able to develop a robotics solution for extracting harmful carbon from the atmosphere and preserving the carbon for conversion into different energy forms.
With their robot, they were able to capture some volume of harmful carbon balls from the atmosphere through the simulation gaming method, store them and succeed in recycling them into a useful source of energy.
They highlighted teamwork as a significant lesson in enabling them to develop a project that addresses existing challenges.
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About First Global
First Global is a US-based non-profit public charity set up by the founder-For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), Dean Kamen.
The organisation has a mission to inspire leadership and innovation in youths from across the countries of the world by empowering them. This they achieve through education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, codenamed STEM.
By nurturing cross-cultural communication and cooperation among secondary school students around the globe through STEM, the initiative empowers individuals to jointly address the world’s pressing issues and generate unique solutions that improve the quality of life for all.