U.S. Consulate supports STEM education, launches Drone Soccer Competition in Lagos

The US government is committed to supporting programs that promote STEM education and give students opportunities to contribute to Nigeria’s long-term and inclusive economic prosperity.

On Saturday, the United States Consulate General in Lagos hosted Africa’s first drone soccer competition in collaboration with the Global Air Drone Academy and the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

The competition featured eight girl-led teams chosen from 71 student teams from public high schools in Lagos Education District 1’s Agege, Alimosho, and Ifako Ijaiye communities.

The tournament was won by the Pace Setters Team from Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School.

Alimosho Senior Grammar School’s Aligrams Team and Abesan Senior High School’s Alpha Team finished second and third, respectively. The three top-scoring teams each received a $1,500 STEM lab for their respective schools.

Speaking at the tournament’s grand finale, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ibelli emphasized the importance of STEM education to Nigeria’s future prosperity and economic competitiveness.

He explained that the tournament was created to provide students with high-quality technological learning opportunities while also sparking their interest in math and science, as well as STEM careers.

“We are so excited to work with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the Global Air Drone Academy to not only bring practical, hands-on STEM education to the Lagos school district, but also to give representing schools the opportunity to show off their STEM skills in drone soccer, the world’s newest sport,” Ibelli said.

Eno Umoh, co-founder of the Global Air Drone Academy in the United States, explained that one of the program’s main goals was to educate underserved communities, particularly young girls, about the impact they could have in STEM fields.

“We are overjoyed to be pioneering Africa’s newest emerging e-sport.” Drones are an innovative and engaging tool that can be used to motivate students to pursue STEM education and careers,” Umoh added.

The drone soccer competition was a follow-up initiative to a series of drone technology and STEM trainings for 500 students, as well as a capacity-building workshop for 50 teachers on effective approaches to teaching STEM subjects, held in Lagos Education District 1 in 2021.

Drone Soccer is the world’s newest e-sport, featuring flying quadcopters outfitted with protective plastic exoskeletons designed for full-contact gameplay.

In 2018, the World Air Sports Federation (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) sanctioned Drone Soccer as the only educational robotics competition that is also an international sport.