• School pupils showcase scientific/technological inventions as education districts celebrate Lagos at 50

By Perpetua Egesimba

In continuation of the celebration of Lagos 50 years of remarkable existence and excellence, the six education districts in the state have joined hands to hold an exhibition with the theme: “Enhance the Heritage; Advance the Future,” to help discover the hidden talents of the students, with various science innovations, arts and crafts.

One of the impressive innovations was an electronic ballot box made by three SS2 students of Ilupeju Senior Grammar School. Explaining how it works, one of the students, Adeleye Addulamed said once the voter’s card which has an opening is placed on the ballot box, a light will be passed through it to send the signal to a rod preventing the card from going down. Once the signal is sent to the rod, he said, it will automatically open giving way for the card to pass through. The vote will be automatically counted. He said they are already building another ballot box which will allow voting by multiple parties, instead of two.

Other remarkable innovations on display included: Footmat security alert by Eko Junior High School, Electronic van, bio-gas, cow dung, cylinder, pipe, Box 4 Machines by Bolade Junior Grammar School, Oshodi; Army Cantonment Junior Secondary School- made Traffic Light, Tricycle and Snip. Ikeja Junior Grammar School-made Security Communication Device, bedside reading lamp and an extension box with an indicator meter. Other schools built tea mixer, laser light security system, water level indicator, musical doorbell, mosquito repellant, rechargeable power bank, and battery-powered lawn mower amongst others.

Declaring the exhibition open at Education District VI Oshodi, the Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, expressed her satisfaction with the talents displayed by students during the three special days set aside to celebrate the contribution of children in the development of the state.

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“From what I have seen in the districts so far, I am highly impressed and we are going to select the best from each of the districts to come together to compete and then the best will be selected for the state.”

She commended the principals and teachers for their result-oriented efforts, adding that their rewards are not only here on earth, but also in the hereafter. The Tutor General and Permanent Secretary Education District VI, Mrs. Olufumilayo Onadipe, noted that the significance of culture and science in the education of the nation is that the world today has gone technological, with everyone keying into it, hence one can pick a phone here and speak with someone in the USA.

She added that as far as scientific/technological innovations are concerned, the children are the future of the nation and the world at large. “They have the pedigree to come up with many inventions and that is why we have asked them to come to showcase what they have done scientifically in celebration of Lagos @ 50,” she said. “We have so many schools here with their science exhibitions and it is the children that will explain what they have done because in the next 30 years or thereabout, a lot of people into the white collar jobs will not be excelling again. People will start using their hands to do things and will make it in life.”

On sustainability and marketability of the students’ inventions which she confessed had made her proud, she said she is sure many companies will rise up to take up the inventions of the children and market them judging from what she has seen.

“You can see the electronic ballot box made by one of the schools,” she said. “It impressed me. You know abroad, they don’t sit down and start counting the votes one after the other. Once you cast your vote, it is already counted within one second, telling you that so and so number of people have voted for Party A and for Party B. I think we are getting to that stage. As you can see, one of the schools was able to make such ballot box. The only thing is that they were able to do it only for Parties A and B. If we want to use it here, of course we have to make provisions for more parties.”

Onadipe appealed to the private sector to look at what the students are making and forget about importing those things from abroad as there are geniuses that can make those things here. “They should look inward and stop importing these things from abroad,” she reiterated. “For example, there is a school here that made Alarm Foot Mat which means, when you have visitors or intruders in your home, once they step on that, it goes off and indicates that in the home.  Of course, the homeowner can call the police at that time if the person is an intruder. Let the private sector look inward and encourage our children. If that is done, I am sure they will do more.”