The Federal Government and key education stakeholders have advocated enhanced career guidance and supportive mechanisms in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to empower secondary school students across the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the STEM Africa Innovation Boot Camp in Abuja, organised by the ExxonMobil Foundation and Junior Achievement Nigeria under the STEM Africa Initiative, a programme aimed at building students' confidence and stimulating long term interest in STEM related careers.

Represented by the Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Department, Olley Frank, the Minister commended the ExxonMobil Foundation for its ongoing STEM initiative and noted that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu's agenda for promoting science education nationwide.

The Executive Director of ExxonMobil Affiliates Nigeria, Hazizi Hassan, reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting STEM education, stating that the initiative is designed to develop the next generation of innovators, engineers, scientists, and leaders who will drive Nigeria's future growth and development.

The General Manager of Socioeconomics and Community Affairs for the Foundation in Nigeria, Nigel Cookey Gam, stressed the critical role of STEM education in fostering economic growth and sustainable development in the 21st century. He noted that students actively engaged during career talks, asking insightful questions that reflected a deeper understanding of STEM related careers, and recalled how a previous participant's experience at regional finals in South Africa had transformed her academic outlook.

The Acting Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, Olaolu Akogun, described the initiative as a celebration of consistency, partnership, innovation, and collective commitment to shaping the future of young Africans through STEM education. He disclosed that 120 students from 10 secondary schools took part in the Boot Camp after emerging winners of quiz competitions held across their respective Area Councils, and explained that participants were introduced to design thinking through practical exercises, including redesigning everyday products to solve real world problems.

The STEM Coordinator and Physics teacher at the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Shodeinde Babafemi Samuel, said the school's participation in the initiative had significantly improved students' academic performance and confidence, revealing that some past participants scored as high as 368 and 339 in JAMB examinations, achievements he attributed to the intensive coaching and practical training provided through the programme.

The Boot Camp forms part of the broader ExxonMobil Foundation STEM Africa Program, which JA Africa expanded in 2026 as STEM Africa 2.0 to integrate artificial intelligence learning pathways. The Foundation said the wider programme has already reached more than 10,000 young people across Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Nigeria, and aims to equip 4,000 additional students aged 14 to 17 with skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.