How 10,000 Nigerian Kids acquired Robotics, STEM Education
By Sam Eseyin
During my childhood in the 2000s, I became completely obsessed with robotics movies. They were my escape, but they also planted a seed of curiosity in me—about technology, engineering, and how things worked. By the next decade, that curiosity had grown into a full-blown passion. It pushed me to take bold steps, even when the odds seemed stacked against me.
At the time, I was teaching chess to kids in schools. I loved helping them develop strategic thinking, but I couldn’t shake this thought: What if these kids could learn robotics instead? The idea stuck with me, but there was a problem. Where I lived in Gbagalape, robotics was practically unheard of. Most kids had never even seen a robotics kit, let alone understood how to use one. But I couldn’t let that stop me. I had to try.
With no access to fancy kits or resources, I got creative. I would go to cyber cafes to download schematics and robotics manuals, print them on paper, and start pitching the idea to schools. I met with school owners and administrators, explaining how robotics could reshape the way kids think and learn. A few schools gave me a chance, and I stood in front of students and their parents with nothing but printed papers in my hands. The kids’ excitement was contagious. Their eyes lit up as I explained how robots worked, and I knew I had to do more.
But there was one big problem: I didn’t own a single robotics kit to show them. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I sold the best pair of shoes I owned to scrape together enough money to order my first robotics kit, the Krypto I, from Abilix Robotics in China. When it finally arrived, I was overjoyed. I spent countless sleepless nights experimenting with it, learning everything I could. I was determined to master it so I could show kids what was possible.
Confident in my new knowledge, I started touring schools in Abuja, demonstrating the kit’s potential. The kids were amazed, and their excitement fueled me. That’s when Ideal Robotics was born.
Not long after, I met Malik Gwandu, my co-founder and one of the most passionate and kindest people I’ve ever known. Together, we became a team on a mission. We went from school to school in Abuja, talking to anyone who would listen about STEM and robotics. We wanted kids to see what was possible—to imagine a future where they could build, create, and solve problems. Malik had this funny habit of saying, “Every time we walk into a supermarket, there’s a 90% chance some kid will point at us and say, ‘Hey, Mom, that’s my robotics teacher!'” And you know what? He was usually right. Those moments kept us going.
After months of free workshops and school visits, we finally got our first paying client—Lela Blossom School. I’ll never forget that feeling. It was like, “Okay, this is real.” We were really doing this. More schools started signing up, and suddenly, we were in demand. But with growth came new challenges. Schools paid us at the end of the term, and I didn’t have enough money to hire the team we needed.
So, I put out an advert hoping someone would believe in what we were trying to do. And they did. A group of amazing people joined us, even though I couldn’t promise them much. I was paying each person 50,000 naira, which wasn’t a lot, but it was what I could afford at the time. Malik and I? We weren’t taking any pay. We poured everything back into the company.
We rented a tiny office space with the little money I had. It was bare—no chairs, no furniture, just a plain floor. Every morning, we’d sit on that floor, plan our day, and then head out to schools to teach. I made a promise to my team: I would never owe them a salary. It wasn’t easy to keep that promise, but I was determined.
To make ends meet, I took on several side gigs, including playing the saxophone at a nightclub after work hours. Eventually, we managed to buy two chairs from Pantaker, a market known for selling used items.. We had a rule: first come, first served. As the founder, I was always the first to arrive, but I let my team take the seats. They deserved it more than I did.
There were times when things got really tough. Once, we ran out of money for transportation. My team didn’t complain—they used their own money to get to schools, brought their own internet data, and even cleaned the office. Shola, Queensley, Samuel, Victor, and Malik—these were the people who carried Ideal Robotics on their shoulders. They believed in the dream so much that they would bring me food from home when they knew I hadn’t eaten. I’ll never forget their kindness.
During one of the hardest periods, I reached out to Faiz Bashir, the founder and CEO of FlexiSAF. He gave us some money to keep going, and that support saved us.
As we grew, so did our impact. School owners started referring us to their friends who also owned schools. They’d say, “You have to see what these kids are building!” Parents, too, would tell their friends about us, especially during summer camps. They’d see their kids building robots, coding, designing mobile apps, and solving real-world challenges. And they wanted other kids to have the same experience. It was amazing to see how word of mouth spread.
But the biggest validation came when some of the schools we worked with started incorporating robotics and coding into their curriculum. After seeing the impact it had on their students—how it sparked creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving—they made it compulsory for every child. That was a huge win for us. What started as an extracurricular activity was now becoming a core part of education for some schools.
We partnered with organizations like FlexiSAF, Avion Innovation Hub, MTO Technologies, and the Discovery Museum to reach even more kids during holidays. During summer holidays, we ran intensive STEM and coding programs, showing kids skills they’d never imagined. We even took them on excursions to different tech companies and organizations, such as the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Seeing their faces light up with curiosity and ambition was everything.
One of the moments we were most proud of was launching Code Quest, a coding competition that brought kids from different schools together. Watching them work as teams, challenge themselves, and improve their coding skills was amazing. Another huge moment for us was when Castle Hill Academy, one of the schools we trained, beat over 100 other schools to win the Most Innovative Project award in a federal government competition. That win meant everything—it showed that with the right support, Nigerian kids could do big things in tech and innovation on a global level.
But after those eight years, Ideal Robotics had to shut down. Watching something I’d built from scratch—something that had touched so many lives—come to an end broke my heart. In that failure, though, I found clarity. I realized that the impact we had—on students, schools, and even my team—was just the beginning.
Today, I carry that same passion into my next chapter, working to empower even more young minds to dream, create, and innovate. Because in the end, it’s not about the robots—it’s about the futures we help build.
As I reflect on this journey, I’m reminded of the people who stood by me, believed in me, and helped me keep going: my mom, whose unwavering support gave me the courage to dream big; my friend Sefater Joy Bem, who always encouraged me to keep pushing; Abdul-Malik, MD of Cloud9 IT Solutions, whose guidance and mentorship were invaluable; Mr. Thomas Ogbodo, who saw potential in me when I needed it most; and Samuel Kayode, whose friendship, support, and numerous sacrifices kept me grounded.
To my incredible team—Patience, Jessica, Keddy, Maxwell, Joes, Sushi, Florentina, Mildred, Chinedu, Amina, Chisom, and my co-founder Malik—I am forever grateful. And to Jonathan and his brother, who gave me their tablet to use when I couldn’t afford a laptop to program the robots: thank you for your kindness. To the entire staff at Cloud9 IT Solutions: thank you for your support.
The dream didn’t end—it evolved. And so will I.
