Jadesola Adedeji is the Co-Founder/CEO of STEM METS, a pioneering organization that has revolutionised STEM education in Nigeria, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. In this interview, Jadesola Adedeji delves into the challenges faced by the current education system and how STEM METS has emerged as a powerful solution, empowering thousands of students and fostering their academic excellence, passion for STEM fields, and overall development as well as the organization’s future vision, the role of technology, and the importance of government support in maximising its impact.
What would you say are the biggest challenges facing STEM education in Nigeria today, and how can these challenges be addressed?
The biggest challenges facing STEM education include poor access to quality education, outdated curricula, insufficiently trained teachers, and limited technological infrastructure. These create a significant gap between acquired skills and the demands of an innovation-driven economy. To address these, we need to prioritize teacher training, integrate hands-on, practical STEM learning, and provide accessible technology. Partnerships between government, private organizations, and educational stakeholders are key.
What was the initial vision behind founding STEM METS, and what inspired you to focus on STEM education in Nigeria?
The initial vision for STEM METS was born out of a deeply personal journey. As a parent, I watched my son struggle academically and socially, largely due to the traditional “cram and regurgitate” or rote learning methods prevalent in the education system. He found it difficult to engage with subjects in a meaningful way, which impacted his self-confidence and emotional well-being. This experience motivated me to explore more modern, creative, and alternative methods of teaching and learning.
I began researching experiential and child-centered approaches that prioritize curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. This quest to find solutions for my son revealed a larger need in the educational landscape—one where children are empowered with the skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving, innovation-driven world. STEM METS was founded to bridge this gap, ensuring that education goes beyond theory to equip children with practical, future-ready skills.
Kindly share an overview of the journey of STEM METS from inception to the incredible milestone being celebrated – its 10th anniversary.
The journey of STEM METS began in 2014 with a shared vision between myself and my late co-founder, Dr. Funmi Ogunwuyi. As mothers and STEM professionals, we recognized the need to revolutionize education in Nigeria. We saw firsthand how the traditional system failed to prepare young learners for the demands of a rapidly changing world and felt compelled to create a solution.
Our passion for hands-on, experiential learning inspired us to establish STEM METS to ignite curiosity and creativity in children. Starting with small workshops, we focused on integrating practical, skills-based approaches to learning, STEM METS has impacted over 30,000 students, trained 580 teachers, and co-organized eight STEM Africa Fest events across Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, and Rwanda. In 2024, we are proud to expand our reach to The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya. This 10th anniversary is not just a celebration but a testament to our enduring vision and legacy.
What were the primary challenges you faced in the early years of STEM METS, and how did you overcome them to establish the organization?
The early challenges included limited awareness of STEM education’s importance, a lack of infrastructure, and finding skilled educators to implement our programs. We overcame these by forging strong partnerships with international organizations, investing in teacher training, and consistently advocating for the integration of STEM education into schools. Our persistence paid off as we built a solid reputation and gained the trust of schools, parents, and stakeholders.
Can you expand on STEM METS’s services and programs, and speak on how they have impacted students’ academic performance and interest in STEM fields?
STEM METS offers a range of services; after-school programs, holiday camps, STEM Africa Fest events, and teacher training, providing hands-on learning. These programs foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Many of our children have gone on to study STEM courses in universities worldwide. My own son, whose struggles inspired the organization, is now an AI video games developer working in the global video games industry—a shining example of how STEM can unlock diverse careers. Some of our facilitators have progressed to postgraduate studies at prestigious institutions, underscoring the transformative impact of our programs. These stories underscore the transformative impact of our programs, not only in shaping the futures of our students but also in empowering educators and mentors to excel on a global scale.
In what ways would you say STEM METS has enhanced or transformed the Nigerian education landscape, and what specific examples can you share to illustrate this impact?
As a supplementary education company, STEM METS has introduced innovative content not in the regular curriculum, aligning with emerging trends. We see ourselves as a “third learning space,” complementing home and school. Our programs address gaps by teaching what students are not learning in school. Through our Airbus Foundation partnership, students gained hands-on aerospace experience. We offer programs such as early-years science, UX design for kids, non-screen coding, animation, video game development, and E-sports. These foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
How does STEM METS leverage technology to enhance the learning experience and make STEM education more accessible to students?
STEM METS leverages technology as a dynamic learning tool, integrating emerging tech programs to ensure students stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital world. Through robotics, coding, animation, and AI-related programs, we expose students to hands-on, experiential learning that fosters critical thinking and innovation.
While our dedicated online learning platform is still under development, we currently have the flexibility to offer classes online when needed, ensuring accessibility for all. Our programs continually explore cutting-edge technologies and incorporate them into learning experiences, equipping students with future-ready skills. By making technology an integral part of our teaching methodology, STEM METS creates an engaging, interactive, and impactful educational environment.
How has STEM METS collaborated with schools, parents, and other stakeholders to create a supportive learning environment for students?
Collaboration has been at the heart of STEM METS’ mission to create a supportive and impactful learning environment for students-our superpower is collaboration for impact! We have partnered with schools to align our programs with their curricula while training teachers to implement effective STEM teaching methods. e.g. our work with the Lagos State Government, saw us train 500 teachers in STEM education, ensuring that educators are equipped to inspire and engage students. The quality of our education cannot extend beyond the quality of our teachers- our teachers matter!
Our work extends beyond schools to NGOs such as SEED Foundation and Support, where we have collaborated to provide underserved communities with access to STEM education and resources. Recognizing the importance of collective advocacy, we joined forces with 9ijakids to co-convene the annual STEM Africa Fest. This event brings together STEM education practitioners, parents, and students across Africa, creating a platform to advocate for STEM to become more mainstream on the continent. We have reached over 16,000 learners across Africa with this event.
Through these collaborations, we have established ourselves as a bridge between parents, schools, and other stakeholders, fostering a shared commitment to empowering children with the skills needed to thrive in the future.
How does STEM METS plan to scale its impact and reach more students across Nigeria?
STEM METS is evolving into a blended education company, incorporating both digital and in-person learning approaches to significantly scale our impact and reach. Our strategy includes the expansion of virtually accessible digital platforms, which provide engaging content and live lessons to students across Nigeria and beyond. Additionally, we are developing a social app with microlearning modules, designed to offer bite-sized, impactful learning experiences that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
On the in-person front, we aim to establish physical learning hubs across the continent, which will serve as centers for hands-on, experiential STEM education. Our current goals include reaching 5,000 students annually through direct training and indirectly impacting over 80,000 learners by training 2,000 teachers every year. With this blended education approach, we aim to create a scalable, inclusive model that ensures no child is left behind in accessing high-quality STEM education.
What is your vision for the future of education in Nigeria, and how do you see STEM METS contributing to this future?
Our vision for the future of education in Nigeria is a system where the curriculum has been completely revamped to focus on experiential learning—teaching students how to think, not what to think. This vision prioritizes a balance between developing technical and soft skills, equipping students with the adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving mindset required to thrive in an innovation-driven future and economy. Education should inspire creativity, foster creative freedom, and instil confidence, while emphasizing inclusivity, engagement, and a problem-solving approach to learning.
STEM METS envisions itself as a vital player in this future—a “third learning space” that complements home and school to cultivate the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. We are committed to equipping learners with relevant skills that keep pace with emerging technologies, while also nurturing their creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking abilities. Our programs, which combine hands-on learning with opportunities to explore cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, animation, gaming, and sustainability, are designed to prepare students for a dynamic and evolving global economy.
Ultimately, our hope is that the challenges we exist to solve will one day no longer exist—that the education system will fully integrate these principles into its foundation. In that future, STEM METS may no longer be needed in the same capacity, but we will be proud to have played a critical role in shaping the transformation of education in Nigeria and beyond.
What role can the government play in supporting STEM education initiatives like STEM METS, and what specific policies or programs would you advocate for?
The government is pivotal in fostering a robust STEM education ecosystem through curriculum revamp, public-private partnerships, and infrastructure development. A reimagined curriculum should emphasize experiential learning, critical thinking, and creativity, aligning education with emerging technological trends and industry needs.
Collaboration with private-sector STEM practitioners is essential. Governments should create co-creation spaces and partnerships for implementing impactful programs. Investment in teacher training is crucial, with incentives to attract STEM graduates into teaching and support for ongoing professional development.
Infrastructure must be prioritized, ensuring all schools have access to labs, internet, and STEM resources, particularly in underserved areas. Digital platforms and microlearning modules should also be integrated into the education system to expand reach and accessibility.
Governments can further advocate for STEM by endorsing initiatives like STEM Africa Fest, which raise awareness and encourage participation. Policies that allocate 4–6% of GDP to education and incentivize corporate investment in STEM can accelerate progress. With these measures, the government can ensure STEM education becomes a cornerstone of national development, bridging education and industry gaps and enabling organizations like STEM METS to scale their impact.
What strategies has STEM METS implemented to ensure its long-term sustainability and continued growth?
STEM METS employs a multifaceted approach to ensure its long-term sustainability and growth. A key strategy is our ability to evolve continuously in our service offerings and maintain strong partnerships. By identifying and addressing the pain points of our clients, we ensure that our programs remain relevant and impactful. We actively seek innovative content that aligns with global educational and technological trends, attending international conferences and embracing our core value of “always learning.”
We have also positioned ourselves as the “STEM implementing partner of choice” for corporations aiming to fulfil their sustainability goals. Through partnerships, we design and deliver programs that align with corporate social responsibility initiatives, creating lasting value for all stakeholders, for example, Project iCommunity implemented in public schools with 9ijaikid was supported by Chevron.
To sustain growth, we focus on diversifying revenue streams through collaborative partnerships, developing digital learning platforms, and expanding our services to new markets across Africa. Our social app ,currently in development exemplifies our commitment to leveraging technology to reach more learners.
How does STEM METS measure the success of its programs, and what key performance indicators do you track?
STEM METS measures success through a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative KPIs that reflect educational impact, social transformation, and operational efficiency. Key metrics include the number of students reached (over 30,000 to date) and teacher training sessions conducted (580 educators trained). We also track improvements in student performance, engagement levels, and career progression, with several alumni pursuing STEM fields such as AI video game development and health tech.
In terms of social impact, we monitor gender balance, inclusion in underserved communities, and the development of essential soft skills like critical thinking and creativity. Additionally, feedback from students, parents, and corporate partners, along with stakeholder engagement in initiatives like STEM Africa Fest, further informs our strategies. This holistic, data-driven approach ensures continuous improvement and lasting impact, aligning STEM METS’ programs with global best practices and local needs.
How does STEM METS compare to international standards in STEM education, and what lessons can be learned from global best practices?
STEM METS aligns with international standards in STEM education by integrating globally recognized curricula and collaborating with leading international organizations. From the start, we have sought to bring evidence-based, tried-and-tested global STEM programs to children in Africa, ensuring they are equipped to compete on a global stage. Partnerships with international organizations such as the Airbus Foundation, which introduced aerospace workshops, and KideScience, a Finland based early years STEM program, demonstrate our commitment to delivering the best STEM education practices from around the world. These partnerships have allowed us to provide world-class learning opportunities that are accessible and impactful.
We draw lessons from global best practices, such as experiential learning, project-based approaches, and blended education models, and adapt them to the local African context. This ensures that the programs not only resonate with our students but also address regional challenges in education. By bridging the gap between local needs and international standards, STEM METS is fostering a generation of African learners who are prepared for the future and able to compete in a technology-driven global economy.
Our role as a key partner in the education ecosystem is to ensure that African children are not left behind in the rapidly evolving global STEM landscape. By consistently bringing the best of the world to Africa, we empower students to achieve excellence and drive innovation, reinforcing the importance of STEM METS as a vital player in shaping the continent’s education landscape.
What do you hope the legacy of STEM METS will be for future generations of Nigerian students?
Our legacy is to serve as an incubator for the development and nurturing of future leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers, unlocking their potential for its fullest manifestation in creative expressions across the continent and beyond. STEM METS aspires to be known as a place where creative freedom is encouraged, curiosity is sparked, and lives are shaped—ultimately inspiring generations of children to thrive and reach their full potential.
We aim to leave an indelible mark by making STEM education accessible, inclusive, and impactful, empowering young Africans to drive technological advancement and economic development. Through our programs, we hope to build a foundation for a future where innovation and creativity are at the forefront, shaping a better world for all.
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