3,800 Children Gain Hands-On AI and Robotics Skills Through STEM Festival

More than 3,800 children, parents, teachers and science enthusiasts have gained hands-on exposure to artificial intelligence, robotics and coding at the sixth edition of STEM Africa Fest in Lagos. The festival, held at the Landmark Event Centre, was organised to give young Nigerians practical experience in technologies that are increasingly shaping the global economy.

This year’s edition was themed “Building Future Innovators,” and it brought together participants from more than 119 schools alongside 46 exhibitors. The scale of the event shows how quickly interest in STEM education is growing, especially as parents and educators search for ways to prepare children for a world where digital skills matter as much as traditional classroom knowledge

Unlike conventional school lessons, the festival focused on learning by doing. Children were able to build robots, write code, conduct science experiments and solve engineering problems in real time. That hands-on approach is important because it helps learners move from passive memorisation to active problem-solving, which is often where real understanding begins.

The event featured a wide range of activities designed to keep students engaged across different interests and age groups. These included coding boot camps, drone demonstrations, AI storytelling sessions, science laboratories, engineering competitions, 3D innovation workshops, mental mathematics challenges, chess programmes and a Young Innovators Showcase highlighting projects built by participating children. By mixing creativity, logic and technical tasks, the organisers aimed to show that STEM is not limited to one skill set or one type of student.

The wider message behind the festival is that Africa’s future workforce needs early exposure to emerging technologies. In many schools, subjects like robotics, AI and coding are still treated as specialised or optional, but events like STEM Africa Fest make them more accessible and relatable. That matters because children are often more likely to develop confidence in science and technology when they can touch, build and test things themselves.

Since its launch in 2021, STEM Africa Fest says it has reached more than 20,000 children, parents and educators across Nigeria and other African countries through experiential STEM learning programmes. That track record suggests the event is not a one-off showcase but part of a longer effort to build a pipeline of young innovators who can participate in the digital economy.

The involvement of teachers and parents is also significant. STEM education works best when adults understand the learning process and reinforce it outside the festival or classroom. A child who builds a robot in Lagos may be inspired to continue learning if a teacher follows up in school or a parent supports the interest at home. [punchng](https://punchng.com/3800-children-gain-hands-on-ai-robotics-skills-through-stem/)

The growing popularity of such programmes also reflects a broader shift in education thinking. Around the world, governments and private organisations are trying to combine academic learning with practical digital skills so that young people are better equipped for future jobs. That trend is especially important in countries like Nigeria, where youth unemployment and underemployment remain major concerns.

The festival’s emphasis on entrepreneurship is another useful detail. By connecting innovation with business thinking, organisers are suggesting that children should not only learn how technology works, but also how it can be used to solve problems and create value. That mindset can help shape future founders, engineers, designers and researchers

For the children involved, the experience may have been exciting, but it was also instructive. A coding exercise, a drone demonstration or a robotics challenge can plant seeds of curiosity that influence later academic choices. Those early sparks often matter more than many adults realise.

In the end, STEM Africa Fest is more than a children’s event. It is part of a wider effort to make science and technology education practical, inclusive and inspiring, while helping prepare a generation of Africans for a more digital future.