Interswitch set to reward excellence in STEM with InterswitchSPAK 2.0 

Interswitch Group, a leading Nigerian Pan-African digital payment and commerce Solutions Company, is once again set to reward excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics among secondary school students in the second edition of the InterswitchSPAK National Science competition.  The competition, which is targeted at SS 2 students aged between 14 and 17 years, is a CSR initiative of the company.
This announcement was made at a press briefing held on Wednesday in Lagos. The competition which is focused on driving increased interest in the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics subjects among Senior Secondary School students across Nigeria will kick off with a national qualifying examination from which 81 finalists will emerge to compete at the InterswitchSPAK TV quiz competition.
The InterswitchSPAK programme includes a Masterclass, an Innovation Challenge and a TV quiz competition around STEM subjects.
The aim of InterswitchSPAK is to encourage and guide the students along career paths that will help them achieve full optimization of their potentials and dreams to become inventors or entrepreneurs.
Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Interswitch, encouraged all eligible students to participate and register in this second edition. She noted that the importance of STEM education cannot be over-emphasized in our society; especially considering our current societal challenges.
Eromosele said:  “At Interswitch we understand that technology is key to solving most of our challenges in Africa. Promoting and rewarding excellence in STEM subjects among secondary school students is our way of preparing the younger generation to take up this challenge.”
Speaking on the registration process, Enyioma Anaba, Group Head, Brands, at Interswitch Group, explained that the competition is open to girls and boys in public and private secondary schools in Nigeria, aged between 14 and 17 years. She further explained that new schools are required to first register on the InterswitchSPAK platform before registering their students, while returning schools can directly register their students. Each such school is expected to register six students each, at least two of which must be girls.
The overall winner will be awarded a five-year scholarship in any tertiary institution, a laptop, a gold trophy and monthly stipends throughout the duration of the scholarship, all totaling N7.5million.
The second-place winner will be awarded a three-year scholarship, a laptop, a silver trophy and monthly stipends for the three years totaling N4million; while the third place winner will receive a year-long scholarship worth N1 million, a laptop, and a bronze trophy.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Director, Education, National Education Council, Alhaji, Ibrahim Saad, remarked that Interswitch should be commended for their role stressing that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics helps the students to be able to cope with stress, develop a systematic aspect of thinking and he further enjoined government and other private agency and teachers to uphold this lofty dreams.
The Eagle Online reports that registration for the students to register will begin tomorrow, March 7, 2019 and is open for both private schools and public schools and schools can register their students (not less than six and a minimum of two girls) at https://interswitchspak.com and only SS2 students are eligible to participate.
Registration will close on April 7, 2019 and the qualifying examination where selected students will be picked is on April 13, 2019, which will be conducted in every state of the federation including the FCT.
The Eagle Online reports that the students will be tested in the qualifying exams with 100 questions in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
The Eagle Online also reports that Interswitch is an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company that facilitates the electronic circulation of money as well as the exchange of value between individuals and organizations on a timely and consistent basis.
The company started operations in 2002 as a transaction switching and electronic payments processing company that builds and manages payment infrastructure as well as deliver innovative payment products and transactional services throughout the African continent.