After 13 weeks of showing captivating episodes, with intellectual display, the third edition of the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition is gradually coming to the climax, with the emergence of Best Science Student in Nigeria, who is billed to win the star prize of N7.5 million worth of scholarships.
In order to “incentivize” the students, the organizers of the competition – Interswitch, Africa’s leading payment company, disclosed that out N12.5 million, plus other prizes, for the top three winners, the second-place winner will receive N4 million in scholarship spread over three years, a monthly stipend, and a laptop while the third-place winner gets N1 million spread over one year, a monthly stipend, and a laptop.
Interswitch said it believes that Africa’s development is embedded in the knowledge of STEM courses to drive growth across various economic sectors, in line with its goal of a prosperous Africa, adding that the InterswitchSPAK competition “serves as a platform for igniting the passion and preparing the students for the change and economic growth we hope to see on the continent”.
“To instill in the contestants the motivation to aspire to greatness and the drive to create change, every episode begins with a SPAK hero fostering change locally and globally using the power of STEM” the firm said in a statement.
It restated: “InterswitchSPAK remains positioned as the hallmark platform for the development of talents in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field in Africa, giving Senior Secondary School students, both in Nigeria and Kenya, the chance to explore and whet their passion for STEM.
“This focus on STEM is crucial in view of the staggering potential of STEM subjects in the development of the African economy as identified by experts in the field, which calls for an increase in STEM subject uptake, especially by students across the continent.
“This remains the underlying reason for the introduction of the InterswitchSPAK competition”.
Meanwhile, the firm said it expected the viewers to join these brilliant young minds as they SPAK their way to the top on DSTV Africa Magic Family Channel 154 and GOTV Channel 2, every Saturday by 6:30 pm, and on Sunday on the AIT Network by 3:30 pm.