7/28/2019 15-yr-old Wins National Mathematics Contest
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A 15 year-old boy, Akindele Oyedele, emerged as the National
Champion of the 2013Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics
Competition on Thursday.
The pupil of Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, a public school in
Ogun State, scored 94points out of a possible 100 to beat a
14-year-old pupil of Reality High School, Ilesa, OsunState, who
scored 82 to clinch the second position.
Obasi Peter, 17, from the University of Nigeria Secondary
School, Enugu, scored 81 points
to clinch the third position.
Iganmode Grammar School has now won the competition back to back
for three years. AkindeleNurein Oyetobi and Uwa Benjamin from the
school had earlier won the competition in 2011 and2012
respectively.
In the Junior Category, 13-year-old boy, Iyoha Omonzokpia of
Loyola Jesuit College,Abuja, scored 93 points to beat Omojola
Samuel, of Reality High School, Ilesha, Osunstate, who scored 91 to
clinch the second position. Amulah Caleb, 14, of Mount
SaintGabriel's School, Benue scored 89 to win the third
position.
Over 30,000 pupils from different schools sat for the
competition across over 200 centres inNigeria.
Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited -- makers of
Cowbell Milk, Chief Keith Richards,noted that the intensity,
fortitude and integrity of the competition had been sustained since
itstarted in 1998. He added that the competition was free and open
to all secondary school pupilsbetween ages 10 and 18.
Lamenting that education was declining in Nigeria, especially in
the North, due to terrorism, heregretted that no pupil from the
North-East schools participated in the competition.
Richards said, "In the last couple of years, we have struggled
because of the activities of BokoHaram and other criminal terrorist
organisations that are against education and by doing that,they are
threatening the hope and the future of Nigeria's future generations
and their children.
"Since the insurgency heightened, the level of participation in
the North has reducedconsiderably. The results of this year's
competition further lend credence to the downward trendof education
advancement in Nigeria"
Although he acknowledged that Nigeria still had a bright future,
Richards appealed to thegovernment and other well-meaning Nigerians
to "act fast and save the situation, as it may
destroy the future of many."
Director-General, National Mathematics Centre, Prof. Adewale
Solarin, at the event called onother private organisations to
support educational programme.
He revealed that the centre had embarked on the training of
students for the forthcoming Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad to be
hosted by Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, who was
represented by the Director, Science andTechnology, Dr. Abass
Adedibu, said mathematics and science play a significant role in
theeconomic development of a nation.
Winning schools in the competition went home with Desktop
computers and printers, apart frommonetary gift to the winning
pupils.
The best 10 pupils in the senior category were also given
laptops.
