Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) must become the driving force of Nigeria’s education system if the country is to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world, Special Adviser to the Minister of Education, Dr. Adetola Salau, has said.
Dr. Salau, who spoke at the 10th anniversary of the Bunmi Adedayo Foundation, stressed that STEM is no longer just a group of subjects but a critical way of thinking required for the future.
“STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has become a way of thinking,” she said. “It is a way of thinking; of being curious always, experimenting, problem solving and iterating solutions endlessly.”
She noted that global economies are being shaped by innovation and technology, warning that Nigeria’s classrooms must evolve to keep pace.
“We are living in a rapidly changing world which is being defined by technology, innovation, and constant disruption,” she said, adding that “the jobs of tomorrow are evolving faster than our classrooms.”
Dr. Salau criticised the current learning model, saying it still rewards “memorization over understanding, routine over curiosity, and conformity over creativity,” stressing that “This must change.”
She emphasised that STEM education goes beyond producing scientists, explaining that “STEM education is not about producing more scientists alone. It is about raising a generation of thinkers.”
Calling for practical reforms, she said classrooms must become more engaging and interactive, where “students experiment, not just memorize,” “teachers facilitate, not just instruct,” and “learning is hands-on, not just textbook-based.”
“A mathematics class should be an exploratory session not one that students dread. Technology should be accessible, not distant. A science lesson be centered around definitions; curiosity should be the centerpiece of it,” she added.
Dr. Salau described STEM as “a national capability system” that must connect “classrooms to real-world problems, teachers to continuous learning, students to future careers, and education to economic productivity.”
She disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education is advancing reforms through initiatives such as “AI readiness for teachers and students (NAIERP), a national STEM pathway from learning to employment, data-driven policy systems to guide reform, and public-private partnerships that scale what works.”
Highlighting the role of teachers, she said “teachers are special people and they stand at the center of any meaningful education reform,” noting that “no curriculum, no policy, no innovation can succeed without empowered educators.”
She also stressed the need for collaboration, stating that “government alone cannot do this. Neither can the private sector. Nor civil society in isolation,” adding that “the future of education in Nigeria depends on collaboration.”
Earlier, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Foundation, Professor Wọle Atoyebi, reflected on a decade of impact by the organisation.
He said the foundation had strengthened schools, supported teachers and created enabling environments where children can thrive.
“From the establishment of libraries that nurture a culture of reading to ICT hubs that expand access to knowledge, and programmes that enhance teaching and learning, each initiative has contributed meaningfully to improved educational outcomes,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director of Strategy at the Foundation, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Adedayo, said the vision behind the organisation remains rooted in the passion of its late founder.
She said her husband, Bunmi Adedayo, was deeply committed to education, noting that the foundation’s work over the past decade reflects his ideals.
According to her, the foundation has reached more than 550,000 learners and empowered 7,800 teachers across Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Rivers States, with a strong focus on early education as well as digital and ICT learning.
Dignitaries at the event included philanthropist, Senator Daisy Danjuma, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Ọmọtọṣọ, and publisher, Mr. Dele Momodu.
Awards were also presented to individuals and organisations in recognition of their support for the foundation’s educational initiatives over the years.