Public schools floor private schools at science competition

A public school, Lagos State Senior Model College, Kakon, Badagry, has won the award for best science and technology projects in Lagos for producing a Solar-Powered Water Sprinkler.

In the competition, which was organised by Addax Volunteer Club for members of staff of Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria, 18 schools affiliated with the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists club (JETS) vied for the N200,000 cash gift.

Interestingly, the top three projects and awards were clinched by government-owned schools, which defeated the private schools to the astonishment of the judges and the audience.

Speaking with TheCable at the end of the contest, Lola Ajao, a judge who has 20 years of experience as an advocate of Nigerian Content, revealed that the winners were selected based on their innovation, application of principles of science and technology, creation of value to the Nigerian economy, and ability to use the prototype in a commercial number.

“Of the seven schools shortlisted for the finals from all the participating schools, these top three winners met the criteria and they are public schools in a competition where we had schools like Vivian Fowler,” said Ajao, who is also Principal Consultant at Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultants.

“This shows that (Governor Babatunde) Fashola’s educational policy is working. I think they should be supported by the government and the private sector, too.”

In second position was Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, which made a sound-activated switch and an automatic street light that comes on automatically in darkness. Lanre Awolokun of Senior Secondary School Bariga, which made a solar-powered oven, was third. The schools received gifts of N150,000 and N100,00 respectively.

In the grand finale of the event, which coincided with the celebration of Nigerian Content Act at four, Lola threw her weight behind the Nigerian Content Act, saying it has been creating opportunities for local businesses to thrive.

However, she warned Nigerian companies to desist from being ‘figure-heads’ of foreign counterparts, and she also urged the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to investigate all allegations of non-compliance by foreign companies and under-performance on the part of the local companies.

She urged Nigerian companies to ensure proper auditing of projects and claims over executed projects, saying this would make the companies improve their capacity, as  there are Nigerian companies who do nothing but simply rely on content act to get projects as figure heads.

“We should begin to blacklist companies that are just pretending, to be sure that they are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing,” she maintained.

“When the whistle is blown on you for pretence or for non-compliance, you are blacklisted.”

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