Interswitch Group, a leading Pan-African integrated digital payment and commerce company, is set to host the second edition of the InterswitchSPAK 2.0 Masterclass on Monday, August 19, 2019, in Lagos. 

The Masterclass is part of the InterswitchSPAK project, which is a CSR initiative of the company focused on driving increased interest in the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among Senior Secondary School students across Africa.

Participants at the Masterclass are made up of the top 81 students out of the over 13,322 students from various private and public secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, who wrote the National Qualifying Examinations in April.  

Mitchell Elegbe, Founder & GMD/CEO, Interswitch Group, stated that the company is geared up and excited to host the second edition of the Interswitch SPAK programme. He said: “This programme underscores the drive that pushes us at Interswitch – to redefine STEM education in Nigeria. We continue to be dedicated towards enriching tomorrow’s STEM champions and giving them tutelage that puts them at par with other students globally as well as equipping them to solve Africa’s problems.”

The Masterclass will feature three 45-minute sessions where the 81 finalists will be intellectually motivated by high-profile speakers led by Mitchell Elegbe. Also speaking at the event will be Dr. Ola Orekunrin, MD, Flying Doctors Nigeria, and Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MD, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment.

The Masterclass is a full-day of knowledge sharing and engagement sessions where these inspiring and successful men and women in our society will be sharing their experiences while discussing relevant topics with the students. The participants are students aged between 14 and 17 years, in SS 2 or Year 11.

Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch, disclosed that this edition of the Masterclass will be very rewarding for the students as the topics to be discussed are quite expository. She said: “All is set for the InterswitchSPAK 2.0 Nigeria Masterclass. This edition promises to be very exciting and rewarding for both the students and the speakers. The topics and speakers have been carefully selected. The students are the best 81 from the over 17,460 students who registered for the National qualifying examinations. We at Interswitch are very proud to have created the InterswitchSPAK, a unique platform that brings this crop of talented people together to inspire and chart their career path. 

The InterswitchSPAK 1.0 Masterclass held in August last year. The speakers included: Mitchell Elegbe, GMD / Founder, Interswitch Group; Yinka Sanni, CEO, StanbicIBTC Holdings and Eloho Omame, MD, Endeavor Nigeria, who spoke on ‘Emotional intelligence and leadership roles of youth’, ‘The power of transformative ideas’ and ‘Entrepreneurship as a tool for creating impact’.

InterswitchSPAK, now in its second edition in Nigeria has also been instituted in Kenya where the inaugural masterclass for the finalists held in Nairobi on the 2nd of August 2019.