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A former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has challenged the youths to brace up for the challenges posed by science and technology in the 21st century by embracing Robotics education in order to be employable in the world labour market.
He made the call in Abeokuta the Ogun state capital at the opening ceremony of a two-day Robotics Education training for students and teachers from selected schools from five states of the federation.
The two-day Robotics Education training was organized by the office of the United States Consulate General office to boost technology education among participants by engaging them in hands to robotics activities and stimulate their interest in mathematics and science.
”The point really is this, the future is here, no matter where we are in the process of moving ahead with the future and we better start moving with the future so that what would be the cutting edge of science, technology, engineering in the near future, we are part and parcel of it.”
”Even though, we are still far behind in what we should be doing and where we should be in general education.”
So, robot or robotic training; designing; learning how to build; learning out to use; learning how to manipulate or learning how to really move along with these wonderful things in our hands, so that we are not left too far behind.
”Let me also comments on what has been the fear of some people, here we are with the problem of unemployment and people will say we need to create massive employment opportunities for our people, if we start introducing robots, then you will deny people employment opportunities, it will not be so”.
”Because what will happen normally is that we will have other jobs that will emanate from robotics that will be available to compensate for what robotics will take over. We have seen that throughout history.”
”The synergy came, and people thought that there will be no way for road; road came and the same engine was still working; railway came, the roads were still growing and people thought when aeroplane came, there will be no use for railway and cars but today, roads are being built and we are not able to build enough to provide for cars and yet airports are being built, enlarged and even train, railways are being built.”
”So, if we actually plan well, robots will have their place and other jobs will be created for our teeming population not only in Nigeria, not only in Africa but all over the world,” the former president concluded.
The United States Consul General, John Bray says this is in a way to help Nigeria develop its human capital for global competitiveness
”Today nearly 200 students and their teachers are here to learn, innovate, think and have fun. I can feel how excited you are to get back to your Robots”he said
”Children who receive Robotic education training will be better prepared to solve real-life problems with more creativity, critical thinking and effectiveness, these are the tools that they will need to compete effectively in the global economy”
Some of the participants shared their experiences in the two day workshop
”In the last two days we have been exposed to Robotic training a field that is generally new to us, we have been thought how to create and manipulate robots,in fact its been educative and fun .”
Over 300 participants drawn from 32 schools and five states of the federation with little or no experience in Robotics education were captured in the two-day workshop.
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