Winners have emerged in this year’s Cowbell National
Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition. With a total of 87%, Master
Akintokun Adegboyega, a student of Ota Total Academy, Ogun State was adjudged
the best candidate for the senior Secondary Schools category. With the 41
scored in objective questions and 46 in theory, the 13-year old Adegboyega came
first out of over 29,000 students who participated in the competition from
different senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
For the junior secondary category, the 13-year old Miss
Adesina Deborah O of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers
State led the pack of over 15,000 other students who competed with her. Miss
Adesina scored a total of 81% - 35 in objective and 46 in theory questions – to
emerge successful.
The 15-year old Fiyinfoluwa Abioye, a student of NTIC CO-ED
Wuse 2, Abuja came second for the senior category with a total mark of 85% he
scored while Master Babalola David Oluwasayo of Oritameta Baptist Model School,
Ibadan, Oyo State was declared the third best having scored 83% in that same
category.
Similarly, the 13-year old Atolagbe Yusuf Olayinka of
Turkish International College, Isheri, Ogun State; and Johnson Stella Doris, a
student of Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State; also 13-year old, were the
first and second runners-up in the junior category.
These lucky students were announced at the Prize-Giving
ceremony of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition
(NASSMAC) held at the prestigious Le Meridian Hotel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on
Thursday. The event was the climax of the annual competition that started on
March 15, 2014 with the first stage examination held in 200 centres in the 33
states and the FCT. Due to the widespread porous security; the examination did
not hold in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
In his opening speech at the occasion, Mr. Olivier Thiry,
Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, the organizers of the
competition, noted that the world, Nigeria inclusive, faces numerous challenges
in the 21st century especially with digital revolution and rapid globalization.
In light of this, he stated, Nigeria no longer competes with only its African
sister nations but with all other nations across the world.
According to him, to remain competitive and relevant among
the comity of nations, Nigeria requires to develop and nurture its human
capital to meet its challenges. His words: “Transformational development will
come from the quality of human capital Nigeria has and this can only be
developed through education especially the learning of mathematics and
science."
Thiry disclosed that Promasidor believed in Nigeria and its
bright future and will therefore continue to invest not only in its business
but also in its host communities. He said: “We have demonstrated this faith in
the Nigerian society by investing millions of naira in the conduct of the
NASSMAC competition and we promise to sustain our support of mathematics as
best as we can.”
In his address to the gathering, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike,
the Supervising Minister of Education observed that mathematics is seen as a
nightmare by our students, pointing out that this phobia has been reflected in
the poor performance of students in the internal and external examinations.
Represented by Mrs Chioma I. Philip, Director, Federal Inspectorate
Service, Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister commended Promasidor for
getting actively involved in the drive towards developing the standard of
education in Nigeria. His words: “This, Promasidor Nigeria Limited has done by
instituting the Cowbell Mathematics Competition aimed at re-awakening the
students’ consciousness and interest in mathematics. It is pertinent to note
that the company has been in the vanguard of rebirth of mathematics for 14
years.”
In his address, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio of Akwa Ibom
State declared that through the annual mathematics competition, Promasidor has
given back to the society in a great measure. He therefore implored other
corporate organisations to emulate Promasidor, as education holds the key to the
future of the nation. According to him, investment in the education of our
children remains the greatest legacy we can bequeath to our children.
Gov Akpabio said: “We owe our children the responsibility of
equipping them with the right skills, knowledge and prepare them to be useful
members of the society. It is only on such basis that we would be sure that
they will maintain the pace of our development and that our efforts today would
not be in vain.”
The competition, which is opened to all students between
ages 10 and 18 years in JSS3 and SSS2 attending government-approved schools in
Nigeria, is meant to improve students’ performance in Mathematics Pan-Nigeria.
The best students in the first stage examination in each
category from each state and the Federal Capital, accompanied by their
mathematics teachers, were invited to the four regional centres in Abuja,
Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt for the second and final stage examination held
on Saturday, May 31, 2014.
The NASSMAC has evolved over the years and has continued to
expand in scope with the support of the Ministry of Education in both federal
and state levels. The competition has stood the test of time, hence the
tremendous support it has received from all stakeholders involved over the
years.
22 Comments
Congrats
ReplyDeleteOf al d gym tinz K8 stil gat belle
ReplyDeleteCongrats to dez intelligent students, e no easy
ReplyDeleteIf only super Eagles wil be ds brilliant
ReplyDeleteKate Henshaw has added som ponds or is it her dress
ReplyDeleteScoring 87% in maths is envious really
ReplyDeleteKudos to dem
ReplyDeleteBrilliant students
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to d kids
ReplyDeleteCool for Cowbell for contributing to dier lives
ReplyDeleteSweet things..Congrats
ReplyDeleteI envy their brilliance
ReplyDelete@Clever Bright..wia u dis Clever n Bright during ya tym in school...I kow say u be olodo
ReplyDeleteHahaha...someone gats to enta in2 ma troble..I was vry clever then n absolutely bright now..@ Charles
DeleteCongrats
ReplyDeleteSo cool
ReplyDeleteKate henshaw rocks
ReplyDeleteNice one for dem. Congratulations
ReplyDeleteCongrats
ReplyDeleteCongratulations
ReplyDeleteOh My! D kids re cool
ReplyDeleteI fit do am..mak we go meet cowbell if u doubt me
ReplyDelete