LASU inaugurates laboratory for STEM education
By Sodiq Adelakun
The Lagos State University-Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (LASU-ACEITSE) has inaugurated a cutting-edge laboratory aimed at training students in science, mathematics, and technology.
The laboratory was unveiled on Monday in a ceremony attended by dignitaries, including the National Coordinator, ACE Impact, Nigeria, Dr. Joshua Atah.
Dr. Atah commended the quality leadership and support of the university team, attributing the project’s success to their efforts.
He encouraged the university management and the LASU-ACEITSE team to build capacity at the leadership and implementation levels to sustain the project.
The laboratory is equipped with modern facilities and equipment, providing a conducive environment for students to explore and innovate in STEM fields.
“This project will be ending in the next 13 months, and so, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the goals of the ACE Impact project are achieved.
“In your efforts to build capacity, you can count on the support of the project implementation unit of the ACE Impact project at the National Universities Commission as we have done in the past.
“By the design of this project, under the disbursement linked indicators, quality of education and research through regionalisation, centres were expected to achieve certain milestones in order to qualify for the earnings.
“One of those results is the improved teaching and research environment. Today, you have made it clear to the world that the achievement of this result is complete,” he said.
In her remarks, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice-Chancellor, LASU said that the centre was critical to the achievement of the objective of internationalisation and making the university the best in West Africa.
Olatunji-Bello said that for this reason, the management of the university was committed to the goals and aspirations of the ACE-Impact Project.
“We have continued to sustain and improve the academic and administrative performance of the Centre.
“Since the establishment of the Centre in 2018, it has continued to play a key role in capacity building, not only for registered students of the centre but also for the other students and indeed, staff of the University,” she said.
Olatunji-Bello added that the centre had gone offshore in its delivery of short courses.
“The recent training of 311 STEM teachers in Benin Republic, in April this year, is a case in hand,”she said.
Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola, Pioneer Director of LASU-ACEITSE said that the project was approved by the World Bank and Federal Government for the training of exemplary, top quality STEM teachers.
Okebukola, also former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said that so far, the centre had produced, more than ever, masters, PHD, research students in West Africa.
“This laboratory will provide STEM students with hands-on experiences because science is about knowledge, skills.
“I want to specially thank LASU V-C and all the management team and Director of the centre, one of the greatest mathematicians in education, for bringing this vision to reality.
“I want everyone in the country to know that we have the best centre for training top quality teachers in STEM.
“STEM education is for everyone, all we need is to create more awareness for people to be aware by encouraging children to study STEM,” he said.
Okebukola emphasised the importance of government policies to advance STEM education in Nigeria, stressing the need for implementation and monitoring.
Director of LASU-ACEITSE, Prof. Rasheed Sanni, urged governments at all levels to establish STEM education laboratories across local governments to support teachers and students.
He highlighted that since the inception of the centre, numerous students, including those pursuing master’s and PhD degrees, have graduated.
