Interswitch Commences National Science Contest

Funmi Ogundare 

Interswitch, an integrated payments and digital commerce company,à is set to commence airing the fifth edition of the National Science Competition, InterswitchSPAK, its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.  

The competition, which will premiere in Nigeria and Kenya on October 29, is aimed at fostering educational excellence and empowering Africa’s youths by rewarding their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Each episode will feature a set of contestants slugging it out for the grand prize. Viewers can catch the twists and turns of the show as it unravels on their TV screens every Sunday at 6:00 pm on DSTV Africa Magic Family channel 154, and AIT network at 7.30 pm with a repeat broadcast every Wednesday at 3:30 pm on DSTV Africa Magic Family. 

At the end of the competition, the top three contestants will be rewarded with N12.5 million. The winner will receive N7.5 million, spread across five years, a laptop, and monthly stipends; the second-place winner will get N4 million worth of scholarships, spread over three years, a laptop, and monthly stipends, while the third-place winner will be rewarded with a N1 million scholarship for one-year, monthly stipends, and a laptop.

In a bid to reward more participants in this year’s commemorative edition, the 4th to 24th top candidates will also receive varying cash rewards up to N250,000 for their grit, passion and outstanding participation during the finals and semi-finals, premised on the principle that every SPAKster, as they are fondly called, is a winner. 

Additionally, this year’s competition will recognise and reward exceptional teachers. The top 27 teachers in Nigeria and the top six teachers in Kenya will receive cash prizes in recognition of their efforts in preparing their students and laying the foundation for a bright future ahead. 

In the same spirit of rewarding the tenacity of the youngsters, InterswitchSPAK has also awarded 54 of the top-scoring students from across the country with free JAMB e-pins, during the pre-qualifying stages of the competition (the national qualifying examinations) held earlier this year, to  enable them pursue higher education.

The Executive Vice-President, Group Marketing and Corporate Communications, Interswitch, Cherry Eromosele, expressed her excitement about the significant milestone. “InterswitchSPAK 5.0 represents our dedication to nurturing STEM talents in Africa. This edition promises to be even more impactful and entertaining. With the sole aim of offering students across the continent the opportunity to further pursue their dreams of becoming great achievers in science and technology, we at Interswitch Group are very excited to be part of their success stories and journey to greatness,” Eromosele said.