Department of Computer Science, University of Abuja in collaboration with CODERINA and SAP have hosted yet another annual First LEGO League (FLL) Robotic Competition for both the private and public secondary school students in Abuja yesterday at the Main Auditorium, University of Abuja.
FLL event which had 10 public schools and 4 private schools within Abuja competed in a Robotic Challenge, is targeted at creating a levelled plain ground for the young talented students from both public and private schools to compete with one another in a Robotic Challenge as well as inculcate in them the core values and sense of team spirit while working together to achieve common goals.
According to Mrs Amina Showole, Head of Department, Computer Science, University of Abuja, “2017 FLL ROBOTIC COMPETITION is aimed at giving secondary school students in Abuja and its environs a levelled plain ground, be it students whose parents are rich enough to afford private school for them and students whose parents could not afford private school for them, to work together as team and compete in a Robotic tournament”.
Mrs Showole, who was also the initiator of the great tournament with the approval of the Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Professor Michael Adikwu added that, FLL is a world class tournament that ultimately gives the top three winners among these students, the once in a lifetime opportunity to represent Nigeria at the International tournament in USA and Germany.
“The winner of the competition last two years was from Tudun Wada, a public school in Abuja, and he had represented Nigeria in Germany” she said.
“Platform such as FLL is paramount to these young talents because academics activities should not be disconnected from the skill acquisition, since this aspect is the skill acquisition aspect and it is not a kind of education you can get in any formal setting. Above all, it further enables them to display whatever innate ability and talents they have on the inside for the world to see, she affirmed.
The HOD while explaining the importance of FLL tournament particularly to public school students, she said apart from helping us to “Catch them Young” in order to showcase the stuffs they are made off most importantly in ICT and Technology based challenge, it also helps in building their foundations for the future”.
FLL ROBOTIC CHALLENGE 2017 is fully supported by CODERINA and SAP. CODERINA is a non-governmental organisation based in Abuja, Nigeria with a mission to build the capacities of young people. And SAP is an international body that supports and drives education in developing countries by providing the equipment, the ICT/robot games and new challenges for the student to compete, she explained.