Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Winners have emerged in the 2018 National Science Quiz organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the South West Geo-political zone.
Lagos, Ogun and Osun states emerged the best in the South West at the zonal final of the competition held at the Wesley College of Science, Elekuro, Ibadan, Oyo State, at the weekend, when the trio states scored 55 points each out of 90 points.
Ekiti and Oyo states were in the fourth position, scoring 50 points each, while Ondo State was in the sixth position with 40 points.
The trio of Lagos, Ogun and Osun states would represent the South West zone in the national final of the competition that would be held in Abuja in September, this year, which would be the 16th in the history of the competition.
The participants were quizzed in Biology, Chemistry, English Language, Mathematics and Physics. The total points obtainable in each subject were 15 points.
Lagos State was represented by Ezeunala Ekene Franklin from Meiran Community Senior High School and Ogun State was represented by Igban Emmanuel from The Ambassadors’ College, Ota; while Osun State was represented by Owoseeni Oreoluwa Olanlesi from Destiny International College, Osogbo.
The South West Zonal Final was graced by Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Oyo State, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela; Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility of NNPC, Mrs. Iyabode Ayobami-Ojo, who represented Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu and other dignitaries.
Olowofela, in his address, commended NNPC for organising the competition and for building the capacity and developing cognitive of secondary school pupils in science and technology, saying: “What is called success is an amalgam of little efforts that have accumulated over the years. Success itself is not an absence of failure, but accumulation of little efforts to guide against failure.”
Ughamadu, in his own address, delivered by Ayobami-Ojo, said the NNPC National Science Quiz Competition encourages science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM education) towards sustaining the country’s “economy by providing us with tools to understand the world around us and innovations to solve everyday problems.
“Science is everywhere in the world around us. Technology is continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives, both the mundane and then complex.
“Without engineering there would be no houses to shelter us, no roads or bridges and certainly no cars. And mathematics is the very foundation of them all.
“The NNPC National Science Quiz Competition was introduced in the year 2000 when it was held only for students in the Niger Delta.
“It was transformed into a nationwide exercise in 2001 and from the last edition in 2017, its reach has spread to the 774 Local Government Areas of this great nation.
“The result of NNPC’s investment in the Quiz Competition is very visible for all to see. Many NNPC scholars have gone on to achieve outstanding academic excellence in tertiary institutions, locally and internationally.”
Ughamadu, however, cited the success stories of the pioneer winner of the competition, Sunday Aliu, from Edo State, “who presently works with Total Upstream Nigeria Limited as an Integrated Control and Safety Systems Engineer.
“He bagged a First Class Degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from the University of Benin and a Distinction in Computer Science and Engineering for his Masters degree at the African University of Science & Technology, Abuja.
“Aliu also has a Ph.D in Control Systems Engineering from the prestigious Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.”