The U.S. Consulate General in collaboration with the Global Air Drone Academy and the Lagos State Ministry of Education on Saturday hosted Africa’s first drone soccer competition in Lagos.
Drone soccer is the world’s newest e-sport played with flying quadcopters in protective plastic exoskeletons designed for full-contact game play. It’s the only educational robotics competition that is also an international sport, sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation in 2018.
Eight girl-led teams selected from 71 student teams from public high schools across Agege, Alimosho and Ifako Ijaiye communities of Lagos Education District 1 participated in the keenly-contested competition.
The Pace Setters Team from Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar School emerged the winners of the tournament. Alisgrams Team from Alimosho Senior Grammar School and Alpha Team from Abesan Senior High School claimed second and third place positions respectively.
The three best performing teams won a prize of a $1,500 STEM lab each for their schools.
U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ibelli highlighted the importance of STEM education to Nigeria’s future prosperity and economic competitiveness.
“We are so proud to partner with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the Global Air Drone Academy to not only bring practical, hands-on STEM education to the Lagos school district but also to offer the opportunity for representing schools to show off their STEM skills in drone soccer, the world’s newest sport,” Ibelli said.
Co-founder of the U.S.-headquartered Global Air Drone Academy, Eno Umoh, explained that one of the key objectives of the programme was to engage underserved communities, especially young girls, about the impact they could have in STEM fields.
“We are beyond excited to be pioneering the newest emerging e-sport in Africa. Drones are an innovative and engaging tool that can be used to inspire students to pursue education and careers in STEM,” Umoh added.
The drone soccer competition was a follow-up initiative to a series of drone technology and STEM training for 500 students as well as a capacity building workshop for 50 teachers on effective approaches to teaching STEM subjects which were held in 2021 in Lagos Education District 1.
