The ACS Nigeria Chapter in collaboration with the ACS Office of International Activities
organized and hosted the 2015 Festival of Chemistry in Abuja, Nigeria. The festival was held
at the Abuja International Conference Centre, Abuja. The festival was the first activity to be
organized by the ACS Nigeria Chapter, the first to be hosted in Africa and the seventh globally
after Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Puerto Rico and China.
Participants at the festival included the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth
Development, Abuja, Nigeria, Hajia Rabis S. Jimeta; the Vice President of the Institute of
Chattered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) and immediate past President of the Chemical Society
of Nigeria (CSN), Dr. Shettima A. Saidu; heads of different chapters of the CSN, secondary
school teachers, pupils/students and their parents as well as undergraduate students. About 250
people participated in the festival. As of September 17, 2015, the online social media activities
reached more than 1,000 people. The full list of Volunteers, participants and photo gallery are
presented as appendices.
In his opening remarks, the President of the ACS Nigeria Chapter, Professor Joshua Obaleye
thanked all the members of ACS Nigeria Chapter and acknowledged the efforts of everyone
who made it possible to host the festival. The representative of the ACS at the festival, Ricardo
McKlmon, also addressed the participants. Mr. McKlmon reminded participants of the vision
of ACS to improve people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry as reflected in
the experimental demonstrations organized for the festival. He urged all participants to be
inspired by the demonstrations which are a practical ways to proof that chemistry is positive
and a noble profession. Dr. Saidu while speaking on behalf of ICCON/CSN urged participants
to make use of the opportunity to learn and expand their thinking towards global issues in
chemistry.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Jimeta
informed participants about Federal Government of Nigeria’s intense emphasis on science
which is the key to the future. She commended the organizers of the festival of chemistry. She
added that the event was a very inspiring experience and a significant strategy in encouraging
the younger generations of Nigeria to put more interest in science so that in the future the
country can achieve her vision to be among the world’s 20 economies in the year 2020.
Different groups contributed in various ways and capacities in organizing and hosting the
event. These groups include the Lagos and Abuja Chapters of the CSN; the ACS Student
Chapters of the Universities of Uyo and Ilorin as well as the Students’ Chemical Society of the
Universities of Uyo and Abuja. Springville International School, Abuja provided a hall at the
premises of the school for the Volunteers’ Training and Meeting which was held on September
4, 2015 prior to the main event. The financial report is attached as an appendix.