Nigerian Scientist Awards N1m to STEM Olympiad Winners

Dr. Michael Taiwo, a Nigerian-born chemical engineer and senior hydrogen specialist at Shell USA, pledged to reward three Nigerian students with N1 million after they won gold medals at the International STEM Olympiad held in Rome, Italy. The students, Chimdiebub Onwubiko, Anel Munachimso Egejurum, and Onyedikachi, achieved this feat in a competition that attracted participants from 150 countries.

Taiwo made the announcement via social media on Tuesday, expressing his admiration for their impressive achievements. The students, aged 11 to 17, qualified for the finals after excelling in the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad, which had 11,500 participants.

Alex Onyia, an educational advocate, facilitated the students' trip to Italy, covering registration, visa, flight, and accommodation expenses. Taiwo's commitment to supporting STEM education is further exemplified by the Michael Taiwo Scholarship, established in 2019 to assist academically gifted but disadvantaged students in pursuing graduate studies abroad.