JA Nigeria, Johnson & Johnson Empower School Girls Through STEM Education, Manufacturing, Design Innovation Camp

Junior Achievement Nigeria, in collaboration with Junior Achievement Africa and Johnson & Johnson, successfully implemented the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing, and Design (WiSTEM2D) Innovation Camp in Nigeria.
The one-day camp, which recently took place at the BWC hotel in Lagos, impacted 100 senior secondary school girls in Nigeria aged 12 – 18 years.

The innovation camp included a series of interactive activities and instruction that allowed the staff and community leaders to provide hands-on learning experiences to the girls. WiSTEM2D is aimed at igniting the interest of young African females to apply STEM principles in addressing social issues.

The girls also participated in a panel discussion with leading women such as Peace Olumese, Nkechi Ukaiwe, Oyefunke Jaiyesimi, and Victoria Ezeala from Johnson & Johnson. There were also speed mentoring sessions and networking opportunities.

The design thinking workshop was led by a design thinking expert, Femi Luther-Abegunde.

The Executive Director of JA Nigeria, Foluso Gbadamosi said that, “The collaboration between Junior Achievement Africa and Johnson & Johnson for the implementation of the WiSTEM2D initiative through JA Nigeria is a remarkable achievement in empowering young girls in Nigeria with the skills and confidence to excel in STEM-related roles. It paves the way for a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow. Removing barriers and creating opportunities for all is crucial in addressing real-world challenges. These young girls represent the future’s STEM leaders, and their current success is a testament to their potential.”

Speaking also, the Country Manager, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Nkechi Ukaiwe, stated “We believe that Nigerian women are also part of the global WiSTEM2D, which is why they brought this initiative to Nigeria. Every woman has the power to reach her full potential, and WISTEM2D is here to stay as the world advances towards Science, Technology, and Design. We know how passionate women are about whatever they do, and we hope to empower women to shape the future through WiSTEM2D.”

Junior Achievement Nigeria is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAWW), the world’s largest and fastest-growing non-profit economic education organization with a 120-country network. Since its inception in 1999, JA Nigeria has reached over one million students in over 20,000 classrooms in all 36 states across the country and the FCT through over 5000 volunteers.

Johnson & Johnson believes that good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress, and is committed to using its reach and size to improve access, affordability, and healthier communities.