By Gabriel Dike
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has rewarded three Delta State secondary schools with a $5,000 book prize for their outstanding performance in the 2021 school exam.
The awards were bestowed on the three schools at the 60th annual meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) held in Asaba, Delta State.
The three schools were winners of the WAEC Endowment Fund book prize for their students’ outstanding performance in the May/June 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) among schools that presented candidates in the state.
Interestingly, the three schools are private-owned and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside NNC chairman, Hajiya Binta Abdulkadir, and WAEC HNO, Mr. Patrick Areghan, presented the books to the principals of the schools amid applause from state government officials, students and stakeholders at the ceremony.
The outstanding schools are Redeemer’s International High School, Asaba, which produced the best aggregate results in the May/June 2021 WASSCE in the state.
The second place went to Royal College, Ovwian, while Our Lady of Nigeria Secondary School, Oghara, emerged third best in Delta State.
In her speech, the NNC chairman, Hajiya Abdulkadir, said in the course of the ceremony, the three best schools in 2021 WASSCE in Delta State would be rewarded for being 1st, 2nd and third with aggregate best results in the school exam.
She explained that the schools would be presented with the WAEC Endowment Fund Book prize, worth $5,000.
Abdulkadir commended the Federal Government, Delta State government and other governors for their continued support to the council over the years, especially, for the smooth conduct of the May/June 2022 WASSCE.
The non-council member representing Nigeria on the Board of Trustees of WAEC Endowment Fund, G. O. Uzoigwe, recalled that in 2012, management of the council approved that library books worth $5,000 be donated each year to the best schools in the state hosting NNC meeting.
According to him, the first donation of the book prize award was made in 2013 to Benue and Imo States.
He said in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, it was the turn of Niger, Ondo, Lagos, Katsina, Cross River States, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Anambra and Oyo States, respectively.
Uzoigwe said the awards are remarkable because any school considered for the honour must not have been involved in examination malpractice.
“Therefore, the three best performing schools in Delta State being honoured were malpractice-free in the WASSCE for school candidates, 2021. This is in tandem with the doctrine of moral purity.
“Interestingly, the three best-performing schools are private schools. This shows that private schools are also helping in sustaining the standard of education in Delta State,” Uzoigwe stated.
He congratulated the three best schools and hoped the books would help in the advancement of knowledge in the state as well as motivate other schools in the pursuit of academic excellence.