By Dipo Olowookere
The organisers of the yearly InterswitchSPAK have picked the 500 top-performing students from its recently concluded pre-qualifying examination.
They were chosen from the 11,500 students who sat for the exercise after more than 16,000 secondary school students registered for the programme, currently in its sixth edition.
Tagged InterswitchSPAK 6.0 competition, the contest is an initiative of Interswitch, Africa’s foremost digital payment and commerce company.
It is the firm’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme designed to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among Senior Secondary School (SSS) students across Africa.
The 500 top-performing students will undergo another round of examination to be among 81 participants to proceed to the semi-finals of the competition which will be broadcast on national television from Sunday, October 27, 2024.
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, over N30 million, representing a 140 per cent hike from the previous N12.5 million.
The first prize winner will receive a 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.
“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 N30 million 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 Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Interswitch Group, Ms Cherry Eromosele, said.
Recall that at the 2023 edition of the competition, Abraham Daramola from Hallmark Secondary School, Ondo State, emerged as the winner.
The first runner-up was Emmanuel Omoegbeleghan from The Crescent International School, Ogun State, while the second runner-up was Emmanuel Angelo-Hyuwa from The Ambassadors College, Ogun State.