By Gabriel Okhao

“Tech is the new oil, or beyond,” as they say in the tech world.

Over the years, Africa and Africans have been given the opportunity to be included in the internet world. This has enabled individuals and organizations from the Global South to connect and experience the tools and technological products of more technologically advanced countries. But the question remains: how long will Africa continue in its mediocre state, serving merely as a consumer of these products?

STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is an education model developed by the U.S. National Science Foundation in 2001. It was subsequently embraced globally to promote logical thinking in learning institutions and to prepare students in various scientific disciplines for professional careers and the ability to solve real-life problems confronting society.

The introduction of STEM education into the continent should be seen as a significant opportunity and a vital countermeasure to the failing and often “useless and less applicable” educational systems implemented across Africa.

STEM, which is “theoretically” said to be primarily concerned with individuals and departments in the sciences, leads me to argue that this should not be the case in Africa. The state of the continent cannot afford to replicate the systems and curricula of already developed nations. Africa and its people must take bold steps towards aggressive industrialization and technological revolutions to escape the perpetual cycle of servitude and consumption in which they find themselves. In other words, everyone should be involved, regardless of their discipline or interest in the sciences.

The recent appearance of STEM-focused educational content on Nigerian TikTok feeds is a truly encouraging development. The level of engagement from the Nigerian TikTok community is also quite promising.

Africans need to start seeing the internet and emerging technologies not merely as products to be used and consumed but as tools—digital tools for human and environmental development. Governmental organizations across the continent should prioritize digital and technological solutions wherever possible to drive progress for their people and communities.

While there are, of course, challenges facing STEM and technological advancements in African nations, we, as a people, must recognize the tremendous positive impact they can bring. We should strive—individually and collectively—to leverage these digital tools currently at our disposal, rather than merely consuming them in a passive and mediocre manner.

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