8-day programme draws participants from 45 schools
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Visiola Foundation at the weekend concluded its 2026 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Camp for teen girls with a landmark renewable energy innovation challenge, bringing to a close an intensive eight-day programme that equipped 100 young women from 45 junior and senior government secondary schools across Abuja.
The initiative also involved the deployment of cutting-edge skills in renewable energy technologies, electronics, automation, and engineering design.
This year’s camp, themed: “Powering the Future: Girls Leading Africa’s Renewable Energy Revolution,” ran from August 8 to 15, 2026, and immersed participants aged 13 to 17 in a rigorous, project-based curriculum covering the fundamentals of electricity, solar and wind energy systems, smart technologies, microcontroller programming, and the full engineering design process.
Working in teams, students identified real-world community energy challenges, then designed, built, tested, and presented functional renewable energy prototypes before a distinguished panel of judges.
In the end, group eight emerged winners, having worked on a prototype of a SmartFarm with an automated farming system designed to make farm operations easier, safer, and more efficient.
In her opening remarks, President of the Visiola Foundation, Ladé Araba, underscored the importance of experiential learning especially in public schools where resources may be limited.
“Africa’s youth population continues to grow rapidly at the same moment that digital and technical competency is becoming the entry requirement for a growing share of jobs worldwide. Expanding experiential STEM learning in African public schools is one of the clearest and most direct levers available for turning this demographic pressure into a source of skilled talent, higher household income, and long term economic growth for the continent.” Araba stated.
Chief Executive Officer of FGN Power Company, Mr. Kenny Anuwe, served as the chief judge for the closing competition, lending his considerable expertise and stature to an event that showcased the extraordinary talent and ingenuity of Nigeria’s young women in science and engineering.
“What I witnessed today was a glimpse into Africa’s energy future. These girls grasped complex engineering concepts, built working prototypes, and presented their solutions with the confidence and precision of trained engineers.
“Investing in the next generation of engineers and innovators is a strategic imperative. Africa’s energy challenges are immense, and they demand the full breadth of our talent. We cannot afford to leave half of our intellectual capital on the sidelines,” Anuwe stressed.
He noted that FGN Power Company’s work in strengthening technical capacity across Nigeria’s power sector, including the training and exposure of engineers to modern power infrastructure, grid reliability, and sustainable energy solutions, aligns closely with the goals of the STEM summer camp.
By supporting initiatives that inspire girls to pursue engineering and energy careers early, FGN Power Company stressed that it is helping to build the future talent pipeline required to deliver a more resilient, innovative, and inclusive power sector for Nigeria.
“Programmes like this one are vital not only for the individual girls whose lives they transform, but for Nigeria and for Africa as a whole. When we close the gender gap in STEM, we do not merely achieve a social good — we multiply our collective capacity to innovate and to solve the hardest problems of our time.
“The best talent must be found, wherever it resides, and given every opportunity to flourish. That is how we build a resilient, self-sufficient, and prosperous Africa,” he explained.
Over the course of eight days, participants engaged with an ambitious curriculum spanning renewable energy systems, wind and solar technologies, energy efficiency and conservation, sensors and smart systems, energy storage and battery management, programming microcontrollers, and the engineering design process from concept to functional prototype.
The programme combined technical instruction from engineering professionals with hands-on, project-based learning that challenged students to apply theory to real community energy problems.
At the closing Renewable Energy Innovation Challenge, student teams presented their completed prototypes, including solar-powered devices, automated lighting systems, electronic circuits, and smart energy management solutions before a panel of seasoned judges.
Projects were evaluated on engineering design, innovation, technical implementation, functionality, sustainability, creativity, teamwork, and presentation quality. Outstanding teams and participants received awards and recognition for their achievements.
Founder and Chief Executive of Blue Camel Energy, Mr. Suleiman Yusuf, a leading renewable energy company and one of the camp’s key technical partners, expressed his company’s continued commitment to the Foundation’s mission.
“Blue Camel Energy is proud to stand alongside the Visiola Foundation in this vital work. What the Visiola Foundation does in building genuine interest, ability, and confidence in girls who might never otherwise have had access to this quality of STEM education is exactly the kind of investment that will yield returns for decades to come.
“We have seen firsthand, through the excursions and internship programmes we have hosted, how transformative this exposure is for these young women. They arrive curious and leave determined. We will continue to support this mission for as long as it takes, because Africa’s energy future depends on unlocking the talent that is already here,” Yusuf stated.