By Etop Ekanem
No fewer than 700 students and 130 teachers in Kwara State have received hands-on training in artificial intelligence, robotics and other digital skills at the 2026 edition of STEM Africa Fest held at the Ilorin Innovation Hub.
According to a statement by the organisers, the two-day programme was held on July 2 and July 4, 2026, and was organised by STEM Africa Fest in partnership with IHS Nigeria and the Kwara State Government.
The statement noted that the STEM Africa Fest targets children aged 7 to 15 years and describes itself as Africa’s largest annual STEM gathering for children.
According to the organisers, the programme has reached over 25,000 children across nine African cities since it began in 2021.
The return to Ilorin, supported by the sustained sponsorship of IHS Nigeria and in partnership with the Kwara State Government, reflects a commitment to expanding access to quality STEM education in Nigerian communities.
“The festival opened on Thursday, July 2 with a Mini AI Bootcamp for 126 secondary school students. Participants were trained to use generative AI tools to build games and websites.
The session was designed to expose students to practical applications of AI. One student developed a website for a proposed business during the exercise.”
The statement further disclosed that the event held concurrently with a STEM Teacher Training Programme for 130 educators from schools across Kwara State. It noted that the training focused on learner-centred teaching methodologies and practical classroom strategies aimed at improving the delivery of science and technology subjects in public schools.
Organisers said the teacher training component is intended to multiply the impact of the festival by equipping educators to transfer the knowledge to more students.
On Saturday, July 4, the festival featured over 20 interactive exhibition booths covering robotics, coding, drone technology, virtual reality, 3D printing and engineering design.
The booths were facilitated by industry professionals and allowed students to build, code, and test projects directly rather than observe passively.
A fireside chat on “The Role of Regulation in Shaping the Future of Technology” was delivered by Mr Saidu Abdullahi, Director of Regulatory Affairs at IHS Nigeria.
Goodwill messages were delivered by Dr Adetola Salau, Special Adviser to the Minister of Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, and by Dr Rasheed Ajao who represented Dr Lawal Olalekan Olohungbebe, Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Kwara State.
The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Will AI Replace Humans?” Panelists included Iyabo Umar, Senior Manager, IT Projects, IHS Nigeria; Dr Abdulwaheed Musa of the Centre for AI and Machine Learning Systems, Kwara State University; and Idris Muniru, AI Engineer at Classy Advertising.
Speaking at the event, Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria Ltd, said the company’s support for STEM Africa Fest is part of its investment in young people.
“At IHS Nigeria, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to develop the skills needed to thrive in the future. Through initiatives like STEM Africa Fest, we are investing in young minds and helping to build a generation equipped to solve real-world challenges through technology,” she said.
Also speaking, Titi Adewusi, Co-Convener of STEM Africa Fest and Co-founder of 9ijakids, said: “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.”
A representative of Community Senior Secondary School, Tanke, Oke Odo, commended the programme, noting that it renewed students’ interest in science and technology.
Organisers announced that STEM Africa Fest 6.0 will return to Lagos on July 18, 2026 at the Landmark Event Centre. The Lagos edition is expected to host 3,500 children, 15 labs and over 50 exhibitors.
