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.