Interswitch Wraps Up Second Phase of SPAK Contest to Promote STEM among African Youths

Funmi Ogundare

Interswitch has announced the conclusion of the second phase of its InterswitchSPAK 6.0 competition designed to inspire interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among senior secondary school students across Africa.

Now in its sixth edition in Nigeria, the InterswitchSPAK competition is a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the Interswitch Group.

This year’s competition saw unprecedented participation, with over 16,000 students registered and about 11,500 sitting for the pre-qualifying examination. The top 500 students emerged from these, and 81 participants will advance to the semi-finals, which will be broadcast on national television. These talented students will compete for ‘Nigeria’s Best STEM Student’.

Interswitch has significantly increased the prize pool for this edition to over N30 million, a 140 per cent increase from the previous N12.5 million, emphasising the company’s commitment to educational development.

Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch Group, highlighted the remarkable engagement in this year’s competition. She noted that the increased prize pool underscores the organization’s dedication to nurturing STEM talent in Nigeria.

The first prize winner will receive a N15 million tertiary scholarship over five years, a laptop, and monthly stipends. The second-place winner will receive N10 million spread over three years and a laptop, while the third-place winner will get N5 million for one year.

In addition to the top three prizes, cash rewards will be given to participants who secure fourth to ninth positions, and the top 18 semi-finalists will also receive cash prizes. The competition will also recognize and offer cash rewards to the top 27 contributing teachers.

Furthermore, Interswitch will provide JAMB e-PINS for the top 200 preliminary qualifiers to register for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) free of charge.

The TV broadcast of the competition will commence on October 27, 2024. Audiences are encouraged to follow the company’s social media platforms @InterswitchSPAK for more information.