This year, that opportunity comes in the form of InterswitchSPAK, one of Nigeria’s leading national science competitions, designed to spotlight and support the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) leaders.

Now in its eighth edition, InterswitchSPAK continues to identify, nurture, and reward some of the brightest Year 11 (SS2) students across the country, those with a strong passion for STEM, and the ambition to go further.

With registrations ongoing, this year introduces an important shift. Students can now be registered not only through their schools, but also directly by their parents and guardians.

This expanded access ensures that more talented students, regardless of circumstance, can take part in this transformative experience.

At its core, InterswitchSPAK is more than a competition. Over the years, it has evolved into a credible platform that offers real opportunities that shape academic and career journeys. It gives students the visibility, confidence, and support they need to pursue their aspirations in STEM.

What truly sets InterswitchSPAK apart is the scale of its impact. It goes beyond answering questions correctly or passing exams, it unlocks access to higher education, mentorship, and life-changing opportunities.

This season raises the stakes even higher, with over ₦40 million in scholarships, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to rewarding excellence at the highest level.

The top prize includes a ₦15 million tertiary scholarship spread over five years, complemented by monthly stipends. The second and third place winners will receive ₦10 million and ₦5 million scholarships respectively.

All top 9 finalists will receive laptops and other cash prizes, ensuring that outstanding performance at every level is recognised and rewarded.

Importantly, the impact extends beyond the students. Teachers of the top 9 participants are also awarded cash prizes, highlighting the vital role educators play in shaping future innovators. It is a holistic approach that celebrates excellence across the entire learning ecosystem.

As a programme, InterswitchSPAKs reflects a broader vision, one where merit, curiosity, and hard work are rewarded, and where every student has a fair chance to succeed. Its transparent, technology-driven process ensures a level playing field for participants across Nigeria.

For students, this is an opportunity to test their knowledge, build confidence, and gain national recognition. For parents, it is a chance to actively support and unlock their children’s potential. And for schools, it remains a powerful platform to showcase academic excellence.

Sometimes, all it takes is one decision and one application to change the trajectory of a future. With the ongoing school holidays providing more time and fewer distractions, this is the ideal moment to get started.

ENTRY:

Registration for InterswitchSPAK 8.0 is open until May 24, 2026. Eligible students are encouraged to register here.

With a scholarship pool now exceeding ₦40 million, Interswitch is doubling down on its commitment to nurturing the next generation of engineers and data scientists.

This year, the company has introduced a major policy shift: Parents and guardians can now register their wards directly, bypassing the traditional school-only entry requirement.

The Prize Structure: A 5-Year Investment

Unlike one-off cash prizes, Interswitch’s prize model is designed as a long-term academic hedge for winners, spread across a five-year tertiary education cycle:

• Grand Prize: ₦15 million scholarship + monthly stipends.
• 1st Runner-up: ₦10 million scholarship + monthly stipends.
• 2nd Runner-up: ₦5 million scholarship + monthly stipends.
• The “Final 9”: High-performance laptops and technical tools for all top nine finalists.

Why “Parent-Direct” Registration Matters

By opening registration to individual parents (previously limited to school-sponsored groups), Interswitch is decentralizing access.

This move addresses the “gatekeeper” problem where students in schools without active STEM coordinators were often left out of national opportunities.

“At Interswitch, we strongly believe that Nigeria’s future will be shaped by how well we nurture today’s young minds,” says Cherry Eromosele, executive vice president at Interswitch. “Season 8 remains focused on creating opportunity, rewarding merit, and inspiring excellence.”

The InterswitchSPAK 2026 Summary

Building the “Innovation Bedrock”

For a company that processes billions of transactions, Interswitch’s investment in STEM isn’t just philanthropy, it’s ecosystem maintenance.

The African tech space currently faces a massive shortage of homegrown senior engineers.

By identifying top talent in SS2 (Year 11), Interswitch is creating a “pre-seed” funnel for the local talent market.

Furthermore, by providing laptops and stipends, they are reducing the “digital divide” for high-performing students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, ensuring that merit, not just money, drives the future of Nigerian tech.

Speaking at the recently concluded 2025 Africa Soft Power (ASP) Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, Key industry players and leaders at the Summit 2025 summarily called for greater economic self-determination and stronger artificial intelligence governance as the continent seeks to reduce dependence on foreign capital and prevent unregulated technology deployment.

The 4th edition of the two-day summit, running through May 22nd – 23rd, brought together thought leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and other African nations to address leadership, investment, and technological development challenges.

The discussions at the summit highlighted the current reality that most African startup capital Decision-makers remain external to the Continent, limiting the ecosystem’s potential, and called for unified perspective towards challenging this longstanding reality.

Speaking at the summit, Interswitch Group, represented by Bernard Kinara, Country General Manager in Kenya asserted that the company, as a fintech leader proudly rooted in Africa remains resolutely championing technology solutions that connect and empower individuals, businesses, and communities, to drive prosperity across the continent.

He noted that beyond her role as a pioneering innovator in the digital payments & commerce space, Interswitch is always enthused at opportunities to advocate and advance the conversation around digital transformation geared towards enabling financial inclusion.

Speaking on a pivotal panel discussion themed “Inclusive Leadership & Disruptions: Shaping Growth and Navigating Global Shifts”,

He highlighted Interswitch’s impact – being the continent’s first fintech/payments unicorn – in strengthening cross-ecosystem linkages and partnerships by bringing together fintechs, banks and other financial service delivery enablers; in advancing borderless payments and cross-country value-exchange; and in driving required affirmative action on the social development front through the creation of opportunities for women and youth through corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives; such as #InterswitchSPAK, in line with the organization’s corporate purpose – inspiring Africa to greatness through innovation, value-creation and excellence.

He furthermore highlighted AI’s potential to democratize access through natural language coding tools that break down gender and linguistic barriers, while cautioning against biases in AI systems.

The summit also discussed topical themes such as AI Models, Sovereignty, and Democratizing Access, and highlighted the necessity of policy autonomy in the global digital landscape, citing successful regulatory actions by governments in Uganda and Nigeria against multinational tech platforms.

Philip Ikeazor, director general, Financial System Stability at Nigeria’s Central Bank, emphasized that anti-money laundering and fraud detection standards are becoming mandatory, with AI supporting but policy leading these efforts.

However, challenges remain around weak data protection and low digital literacy, which policy must address.

The AI governance panel emphasized AI literacy for policymakers and the public, advocating tailored education approaches to ensure that AI tools solve practical problems for farmers, creatives, and civil servants.

A technologist noted the paradox of rising public AI awareness alongside skepticism, reinforcing the need for transparent, trustworthy AI systems.

The Africa Soft Power Summit 2025 assembled Leaders, Innovators, and Creatives from across the Continent to address challenges in leadership, infrastructure, and technological development, with participants calling for frameworks that prioritize African decision-making and economic sovereignty.

The discussions covered infrastructure, digital finance, and artificial intelligence, with a consistent theme of moving beyond external dependence toward sustainable, locally-driven development models.

Interswitch Group remains a leading technology-driven company focused on the digitization of payments and commerce across Africa.

Designed as part of Interswitch Group’s #SwitchAFuture initiative, the Interswitch Discovery Series, targeted at tertiary institutions of learning in Africa complements existing initiatives such as the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition and sit within the education pillar of the Group’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Interventions, geared towards creating shared value in terms of building critically required technology and innovation capacity within the society in which Interswitch operates as a business.

As outlined by Interswitch Group’s Innovation and Ventures Team who champion the Discovery Series, key elements of the program include Entrepreneurship Workshops, designed to build entrepreneurial mindsets in students and empower them to take charge of the future; Design Thinking Sessions & Masterclasses geared towards imparting the capacity to solve problems creatively and collaboratively; and the Grand Pitch, which showcases the respective ideas and innovations of the participating students/groups and offers noteworthy and relevant prizes and incentives including opportunities to incubate the most promising ideas with Interswitch’s recently launched Innovation Lab and Incubator.

The destination of the next edition in the series has been unveiled as Cosmopolitan University, in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), taking place from February 26th through 28th.

According to the company, which is one of Africa’s pioneering Technology Unicorns, The Interswitch Discovery Series remains committed to sparking innovation, sharing essential knowledge through engaging workshops, dynamic pitch opportunities, and interactive experiences to empower participants with the tools to transform their ideas into meaningful solutions to make a lasting difference in their communities and beyond.

Tertiary academic institutions who are desirous of joining the series and collaborating with Interswitch’s Innovation and Ventures Hub to spark innovative ideation and enterprise on their campuses are invited to interface with Interswitch through innovation@interswitchgroup.com

Interswitch is a leading technology-driven company focused on the digitization of payments and commerce across Africa.

Founded in Nigeria in 2002, Interswitch disrupted the traditional cash-based payments value chain in Nigeria by supporting the introduction of electronic payments processing and switching services, and also launched Verve, Africa’s premier and leading domestic EMV-standard chip and pin payments card scheme.

Today, Interswitch is a leading player with critical mass across Africa’s developing financial ecosystem and is active across the payments value chain, providing a full suite of omni-channel payment solutions.

Interswitch’s vision is to make payments a seamless part of everyday life in Africa, and its mission is to create transaction solutions that enable individuals and communities to prosper across Africa.

Interswitch’s broad network and robust payments platform have been instrumental to the development of the Nigerian payments ecosystem and provide Interswitch with the infrastructure to expand across Africa. See more at www.interswitchgroup.com

Now in its 6th edition in Nigeria, InterswitchSPAK, a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the Interswitch Group, continues to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among Senior Secondary School students across Africa.

This year, the competition recorded an unprecedented participation, with a total of over 16,000 registered students and subsequently, about 11,500 students who sat for the prequalifying examination.

From the pre-qualifying examination, the 500 top-performing students have emerged.

As the competition advances to the next stage, 81 participants will proceed to the semi-finals of the competition which will be broadcast on national television. These talented students will vie for the prestigious title of Nigeria’s Best STEM Student.

Furthermore, in a bid to further promote academic excellence, Interswitch has significantly increased the prize pool for this edition.

The total prize pool now stands at over 30 million Naira, representing a 140% increase from the previous 12.5 million Naira, reinforcing Interswitch’s commitment to educational development.

Reflecting on this year’s competition, Cherry Eromosele, executive vice president & Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch Group said:

“We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the pre-qualifying examinations for the 6th edition of InterswitchSPAK. With over 16,000 registered students and more than 11,500 participating in the exams, this year’s competition has seen remarkable engagement. The significant increase in our prize pool to over 30 million Naira underscores our unwavering commitment to nurturing STEM talents across Nigeria. By recognizing and rewarding the brilliance of our young minds, we are not just investing in their futures but also in the future of STEM education in Africa. We eagerly anticipate the next stages of the competition and are excited to see the innovative and inspiring solutions our students will bring forward.”

The first prize winner will receive N15 million tertiary scholarship spread over five years, a laptop, and monthly stipends.

The second-place winner gets N10 million spread over three years and a laptop, while the third-place winner will get N5 million for one year.

In addition to the top three prizes, cash rewards are also available for participants who secure 4th to 9th positions. In addition, the top 18 semi-finalists will also receive cash prizes.

The competition will also recognise and offer cash rewards to the top 27 contributing teachers.

Interswitch will also provide JAMB e-PINS for the top 200 preliminary qualifiers to register for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations free of charge.

The TV broadcast of the competition is set to commence airing on Sunday, October 27, 2024. Audiences are encouraged to follow the company’s social media platforms @InterswitchSPAK for more information.

The previous edition saw Abraham Daramola from Hallmark Secondary School, Ondo State, emerge as the winner, with Emmanuel Omoegbeleghan from The Crescent International School, Ogun State, and Emmanuel Angelo-Hyuwa from The Ambassadors College, Ogun State, securing the second and third positions, respectively.

The competition, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the Interswitch Group, now in its 6th edition in Nigeria (and 5th edition in Kenya, where it also runs) aims to foster interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among senior secondary school students across the country.

Schools in Nigeria can now register up to twenty (20) SS2 Science Students each, marking an unprecedented scale of participation.

Registration for students will be open until May 10th, 2024, and it is free of charge to all applicants.

The qualifying examination is conducted entirely online, allowing candidates to take it from the comfort of their school, home, or any convenient location.

The Computer Based Test (CBT) exams are scheduled to hold from Tuesday, May 14th, to Saturday, May 18th, 2024, from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Participants have the flexibility to choose the most suitable day, time, and venue for their exam, with two trials available.

Following the online qualifying examination, the top 81 students will proceed to the semi-finals and finals to compete for the coveted title of Nigeria’s Best STEM Student.

This year’s edition, with a prize pool of over 30 million Naira, marks a 140% increase from the erstwhile 12.5 million Naira in prize winnings, demonstrating Interswitch’s unflinching commitment to educational development by doubling cash prizes for winners.

The first prize winner will receive N15 million tertiary scholarship spread over 5 years, a laptop, and monthly stipends.

The second-place winner gets N10 million spread over 3 years and a laptop, while the third-place winner will get N5 million for 1 year.

In addition to the top three prizes, cash rewards are also available for the participants who secure the 4th to 9th positions. Furthermore, the top 18 semi-finalists will also receive cash prizes.

The competition also recognizes the contributions of teachers and offers cash rewards for the top 27 contributing teachers.

Interswitch will also purchase JAMB e-PINS for the top 200 preliminary qualifiers to enable them register for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations free of charge.

Speaking on this year’s edition of the competition, Cherry Eromosele, executive vice president & Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch Group said:

“We are excited to kick off another edition of InterswitchSPAK, the 6^th in the series in Nigeria, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever before. By doubling the prize pool and expanding opportunities, we are not only investing in the winners but also in the entire ecosystem of STEM education. We are thrilled to see the impact this initiative has had over the last 5 editions and look forward to witnessing the brilliance and innovation of Nigeria’s young minds in this year’s competition”.

The last edition saw Abraham Daramola, a student of Hallmark Secondary School, Ondo State, emerge as the winner, while the duo of Emmanuel Omoegbeleghan from The Crescent International School, Ogun State, and Emmanuel Angelo-Hyuwa from The Ambassadors College, Ogun State, came second and third, respectively.

Secondary schools are hereby advised to visit the InterswitchSPAK portal to register their best science students in Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) for the competition.

All eligible students and schools are encouraged to visit the website, for more details on how to participate in the competition.

As a key Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Interswitch Group, the InterswitchSPAK competition aims to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among senior secondary school students.

This milestone edition commemorates the fifth anniversary of the competition, symbolizing Interswitch Group’s steadfast commitment to advancing STEM education across Africa.

From a pool of 81 outstanding students from various secondary schools across Nigeria who have competed head-to-head to showcase their speed, perseverance, accuracy, knowledge and problem-solving skills in STEM subjects, the participants have whittled down to the top nine finalists.

The nine finalists include:

1. Best Isijola, from Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Oyo State;
2. Ayobami Ibigbami, from St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos State;
3. Emmanuel Omoegbelaghan from The Cresent International School, Ogun State;
4. Emmanuel Angelo-Hyuwa, from The Ambassadors College, Ogun State and
5. Akinola Mofifoluwa, from The Ambassadors College, Ogun State.
6. Jesse Obed, from Graceland International School, Rivers State;
7. Abraham Daramola, from Hallmark Secondary School, Ondo State;
8. Otana Agunbiade, from OAU International School, Ile-ife, Osun State, and
9. Raphael Ogwanighie, from St. Finbarr’s College, Lagos State.

These finalists have exhibited exceptional brilliance across various STEM subjects throughout the highly competitive phases of the show, and they will be vying for the coveted prizes in what promises to be an intense and gratifying grand finale.

The first-place winner will be rewarded with a university education scholarship, valued at N7.5 million that spans five years, inclusive of a monthly stipend, a brand-new laptop, and the bragging rights as the best STEM student in Nigeria.

The second-place winner will receive a N4 million university education scholarship spread over three years, including a monthly stipend, and a brand-new laptop.

The third-place winner will be rewarded with a N1 million scholarship spanning an entire year of university education.

Culminating in USD6 million worth of prizes over the last 5 years between Nigeria and Kenya, the prizes stand as a testament to Interswitch Group’s dedication to recognizing and rewarding excellence in STEM education.

Speaking on the milestone edition of the InterswitchSPAK competition in Nigeria, Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Group Managing Director, Interswitch Group, expressed the company’s delight in witnessing the exceptional performance and dedication of the participating students.

He said:

“The InterswitchSPAK initiative is not just a competition but a transformative journey that empowers young minds to envision, pursue and secure a future in STEM, ultimately contributing to innovative initiatives and development in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”

In the same vein, Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President and Group Marketing and Communication Officer, Interswitch Group, emphasized Interswitch’s pride in witnessing the commendable talent and grit exhibited by the top nine finalists.

She highlighted that this stands as a testament to the promising future that STEM education holds for the youth of Africa.

“InterswitchSPAK reaffirms our dedication to nurturing and empowering the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers and it is aimed at bridging the gap in STEM education in Nigeria and across Africa at large” she remarked.

She further said that the grand finale promises to be a celebration of academic excellence as these young STEM champions compete for the ultimate recognition and life-changing rewards.

In anticipation of the grand finale, the show continues to air on DSTV Africa Magic Family Channel 154 every Sunday at 6:00 pm with a repeat broadcast on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm on the same channel. Alternatively, you can watch the broadcast on AIT Network every Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

During the entry period, over 17,000 secondary-school-age students between the ages of 14 and 17 from public and private secondary schools across Nigeria put in their applications for participation.

Following the national qualifying examinations, the top 81 participants will be thrilling the audience in the competition as they bid for their share of the grand sum of N12.5 million which will be shared among the top 3 contestants.

The first prize winner will receive a whooping sum of N7.5 million worth of scholarships for five years, a laptop, and monthly stipends.

The second-place winner will receive N4 million in scholarships for three years, a laptop, and monthly stipends, while the third-place winner will, get N1 million in scholarships for one year, monthly stipends, and a laptop.

Previous editions of the competition saw only the top three contestants go home with financial rewards , however, this fifth season will feature an expanded winning pool.

To commemorate the fifth edition of the competition, Interswitch will reward more winners, with the 4th to 24th contestants receiving cash prizes of up to N250,000.

Meet Orevaoghene Whiskey, InterswitchSPAK 4.0 Winner who Scored All A1s in WASSCE

Not only will the students be recipients of these exciting cash prizes, but their teachers, being the linchpins of institutional learning, will also be rewarded for their remarkable contributions.

The InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition isn’t just a platform for recognizing academic excellence; it’s a testament to Interswitch’s unflinching commitment to discovering homegrown talents who can change Africa’s narrative through the power of STEM education.

InterswitchSPAK, a CSR initiative of Interswitch, Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce company, was designed to empower aspiring and brilliant young minds who possess the potential to impact the African narrative one STEM subject at a time.

As a continent brimming with gifted minds that can only be unlocked by harnessing their genius, InterswitchSPAK aims to hone their talents through education, with a focus on STEM.

Beyond Nigeria, the InterswitchSPAK competition will be airing its fourth season in Kenya, East Africa, consolidating its momentum as the standard for educational empowerment in Africa.

InterswitchSPAK’s focus on STEM rises from the recognition of these subjects as the cornerstone of innovation, development, and progress, not only in Africa but across the globe. Interswitch is contributing to the development of future leaders and problem-solvers who will shape the African continent and the world through their STEM prowess.

To be a part of the excitement and brilliance of InterswitchSPAK 5.0, tune in to DSTV Africa Magic Family Channel 154 every Sunday at 6:00 p.m.  If you miss out on the Sunday broadcast – there’s a repeat programme on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm on the same channel. Additionally, you can catch the program on AIT Network every Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

This widespread accessibility ensures that the competition reaches millions of captivated audiences around the continent, inspiring young minds across Africa and beyond to embrace the wonders of STEM education. As the competition unfolds, it promises to ignite the flames of curiosity, learning, and excellence in the hearts of students and educators alike.

Stay tuned for an incredible journey of discovery, where the spirit of competition and speed converges with learning. Get ready to SPAK!

By achieving this feat, Orevaoghene Whiskey continues to shine bright as a beacon of hope for young girls across Africa who aspire to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Her progression from overall best in the InterswitchSPAK 4.0 competition to demonstrating remarkable achievement in the West African examination serves as a compelling illustration of the profound influence of determination and diligence, and the pivotal role that InterswitchSPAK plays in identifying and nurturing the potential of young African talent.

Speaking on this incredible feat, Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications at Interswitch Group, expressed her delight and admiration, stating, “Oreva’s exceptional accomplishments are a testament to her dedication, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Her success in the InterswitchSPAK competition and subsequent triumph in the WASSC examination exemplifies the transformative power of educational platforms like InterswitchSPAK in nurturing young talents and fostering a passion for STEM subjects among our youth.

She reinstated that InterswitchSPAK remains steadfast in its commitment to empower the next generation of African innovators, and  Oreva’s achievement will undoubtedly serve as a source of inspiration for years to come.

InterswitchSPAK National Science competition has been at the forefront of promoting STEM education in Africa and has provided a platform for young minds to showcase their talents, problem-solving abilities, and passion for STEM.

Interswitch remains unwavering in its commitment to inspiring the next generation of Africans through transformative platforms like InterswitchSPAK, building a world where dreams become reality, and where STEM is not just a field of study but a gateway to a brighter, more innovative future.

Stakeholders and subject matter experts alike agree that an increased focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is essential for economic development.

This four-pronged knowledge-based framework has inspired countries around the world to ramp up efforts in STEM research to find innovative solutions to critical economic challenges in areas such as health, food production, infrastructure, the environment, and manufacturing.

Africa is no exception. Despite the continent lagging behind its global peers in STEM education, there is a growing recognition of the importance of STEM for Africa’s economic development and prosperity. In recent years, there has been a surge in initiatives to promote STEM education across Africa.

To advance this narrative of Africans’ ability to create the needed continental change, Interswitch, Africa’s leading integrated digital payments and e-commerce enabler is sustaining and consolidating Interswitch SPAK, its flagship educational corporate responsibility intervention which is geared towards creating shared value. InterswitchSPAK is the leading National STEM Championship in Africa, currently operational in Nigeria and Kenya, currently in its 5th landmark year.

The fifth edition of the prestigious annual STEM-focused initiative targeted at young Africans, InterswitchSPAK National Science competition, has commenced, and the winner will receive N7.5 million in scholarships for a five-year period, a laptop and monthly stipends.

According to statistics released by the company, the recently concluded registration for Interswitch SPAK 5.0 in Nigeria closed out with 17,139 high school science students enrolled to partake in the National Qualifying Examinations, representing a significant 34% increase over 2022 numbers. Similarly in Kenya, where the program is in its 4th year (having commenced a year later than the inaugural edition in Nigeria), registrations for season 4.0 saw a 31% spike over last year.

Interswitch conceptualized and developed the initiative with a view towards igniting, promoting, and rewarding STEM interest in young Africans.

Since its inception in Nigeria in 2017, the InterswitchSPAK competition has drawn over 9,000 schools and more than 60,000 students from senior secondary schools across Nigeria – 6 of which appear in the top 10 rankings of best JAMB results annually.

Of the thousands of interested applicants, the competition has delivered five winners, the most recent of which was historic, as the competition had its first female winner, Orevaoghene Whiskey of Top Faith International School, Akwa Ibom State.

It has merged as a hub that supports the STEM aspirations of young Africans, providing them with a platform to collaborate with other brilliant minds on the continent in a bid to craft innovative solutions to Africa’s peculiar problems.

Having its roots in Nigeria where four (4) winners have emerged year-on-year, the competition’s success led to a spin-off in Kenya where three (3) national science champions have equally emerged so far, brimming with their deep-seated desires to change the STEM landscape in Africa.

The Interswitch Group have remained consistent in their messaging: Africa’s future is mostly determined by young Africans. Globally, Africa’s youth demographic is projected to grow to about 42 percent of the global youth population, according to the World Economic Forum.

The continent has the youngest population in the world, with 70 percent of them falling under the age of 30.

This presents an immense opportunity for the continent; and a narrowed focus on STEM-related subjects will project Africa as a global force to reckon with. Today, there are no shortages of young African innovators, as they compete with their peers globally, bolstering the belief that Africans have the capacity to transform the continent and be global luminaries if the right tools are provided.

As a catalyst for educational transformation across Africa, the InterswitchSPAK competition also provides mentorship opportunities to guide these students through their chosen career paths on their journey to creating impactful change.

Resting on four pillars: Speed, Precision, Accuracy, and Knowledge, the competition is designed to stimulate these brilliant young minds, sharpening their mental tools at the critical stage at which career decisions are made and aspirations are shaped.

Knowledge derived from the show are channeled towards the development of innovative solutions that address local and global challenges, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and problem-solving abilities. At this critical juncture in Africa’s developmental phase, a generation of critical thinkers are vital to the continent’s growth.