Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Nigeria: Seventeen GLOBE Schools Reach Grand Finale of the 18th Annual GLOBE Competition
Aminulai Modupe, GLOBE Nigeria coordinator, addressing participants.
The 18th Annual GLOBE Project Exhibition Competition, where senior secondary students from Federal Unity Colleges throughout Nigeria showcased innovative climate solutions, was held 16–18 January 2025 at Federal Government College (FGC) Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The event was organized by the Department of Technology and Science Education, Federal Ministry of Education Headquarter FCT-Abuja, Nigeria.
This GLOBE competition is an annual event organized to encourage research on environmental issues and provide potential solutions to these issues. It also creates awareness and encourages more students to participate in the GLOBE Program in Nigeria schools.
In the past, the annual GLOBE competition was a written competition, but the 2024 edition was changed from written to a project exhibition competition by the GLOBE Nigeria coordinator to allow schools to make use of the GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) annual theme, "Climate Investigations: Understanding the Earth as a System and Solar as a Source of Renewable Energy," to prepare Nigeria schools to participate actively in GLOBE’s 2024 IVSS. The competition was used to encourage more participation of schools in the IVSS.
The event highlighted the pivotal role of the GLOBE program in fostering environmental literacy and global awareness. All 110 Federal Unity Colleges that participated in the competition at the six geo-political zones of the country received praise. The zonal winners that emerged moved on to the grand finale after rigorous zonal contests. These schools received accolades for their efforts, which underscored the importance of youth involvement in participating in environmental research through the GLOBE Program.
GLOBE Nigeria student participants standing behind their project.
Professor Kola Lawal, project assessor and judge, who is also a GLOBE scientist, emphasized the importance of clear and concise project presentations. He advised students to focus on addressing specific issues, presenting solutions step by step, and maintaining simplicity and clarity. This GLOBE competition is an opportunity for GLOBE scientists in Nigeria to meet and interact with GLOBE schools to share knowledge.
Similarly, Mrs. Modupe Aminulai, assistant director of environmental science education/GLOBE Nigeria coordination, urged participants to develop practical, locally adaptable solutions. She stressed that projects should align with available resources to maximize impact, reminding students that “simplicity and suitability are key.”
Seventeen schools with a total of 72 participants (teachers and students) made it to the grand finale. Federal Government College, Warri, emerged as the overall winner, with two schools sharing the second position. Other schools were ranked for their innovative approaches to addressing environmental problems.
At the closing, Dr. Olodo. M. A., director of technology and science education at the Department of Federal Ministry of Education, congratulated all participants and reiterated the importance of effective project presentations: “Distinguished GLOBE participants, as the director principal and others have mentioned, you are all GLOBE winners. However, based on the scoring criteria, some schools have emerged as the top performers. Please remember that how you present your project matters as much as the project itself. Simplicity and clarity in presentation are essential.”
Nigeria 18th Annual GLOBE Competition group photo.
She encouraged schools to share insights from the competition with their leadership and emphasized that projects should be practical and applicable to local communities, including village farmers. She then encouraged more GLOBE data contributions from schools to the GLOBE website.
The GLOBE Nigeria coordinator, Mrs. Aminulai Modupe, also urged participants to become active GLOBE members by signing up and taking the GLOBE online protocol training.
The top three schools were gifted tablets, backpacks, cameras, mosquito larvae microlenses for environmental observations, and certificates of participation. Additionally, FGC Warri was awarded 50,000 Naira to expand their project, while the two schools in second place (FGC Omuaran and FGC Ilorin) received 25,000 Naira each. Other participants received backpacks, mosquito larvae microlenses, and certificates of participation.
Learn more about GLOBE Nigeria.
Story contributed by Aminulai Modupe, GLOBE Nigeria coordinator.