NECO Urges Nigerians To Embrace Maths For Personal Development
Nigerians have been urged to shun the phobia for Mathematics and instead embrace the subject for their personal mental growth and development.
This advice was given by the Director of Examination Development at the National Examinations Council (NECO), Mr Mustapha Abdullast weekend in Lagos at the finals of the 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show, sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand from Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
Abdul, who represented NECO’s Acting Registrar, Mr Abubakar Gana, enjoined Nigerians to stop running away from Mathematics because “it is a beautiful subject” whichstimulates human mental capacity.
He added that certain qualities that are nurtured by Mathematics include the power of reasoning, creativity, abstract thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication.
“Mathematics is not something you run away from. It is something that you embrace as it helps you in everyday life. You may not go to school but that does not mean you are bad in Mathematics. Mathematics, of course, is something that Nigerians should embrace,” he counselled.
Abdul also praised the quality displayed by the Cowbellpedia finalists withAkinfoluhan Akinleye from The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State and Chinedu Mgbemena of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State wining the junior and senior categories respectively.
In the two-round final for the junior category that produced Akinfoluhan as winner, Splendour Nwankwo of Jesuit Memorial College and Favour Okarike of Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, finished as first and second runners-up respectively.
The three other contestants who could not go past the first round of the final were Chidozie Uzochukwu of Nigerian Tulip International School, Abuja; Gabriel Akogun from Welkin International, and Loluwa Abiodun of The Ambassadors College, both in Ota, Ogun State.
The 13-year-old Akinfoluhan, described his victory as both refreshing and exciting. “I feel very happy to have achieved my dream of wearing the crown. I am happy,” he enthused.
In the senior category, Chinedu overran Ambassadors College’s Juliet Ekoko, the 2016 junior category champion whose efforts yielded second runner-up placing. Another female contestant,who is also a second timer in the competition, Praise Isinkaye from Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State emerged the first runner up.
The contestants,who could not make it pass the first round of finalswere Jessica Austine, from Federal Government College, Owerri, Imo State; Enoch Adenekan of The Ambassadors College and Nafisat Abdulwaheed from Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State.
Chinedu, 16, who also participated in the competition for the second time,expressed gratitude to God and his teacher, Mr Christopher Olasupo for giving him all the necessary support.
The sponsor, Promasidor delivered on its promise to double the prize money in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Cowbell and Mathematics in Nigeria as the champions in both categories received N2 million each. They will also be sponsored on an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country, while the first and second runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.
The teachers of the champions were also rewarded with N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.
In a chat with newsmen after the programme, the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson congratulated the finalists for their excellent performance and reiterated the commitment of the company towards education of Nigerian children.
Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for next year’s edition of the competition. According to the organisers, the 2019 Cowbellpedia registration portal is now open for secondary school students across the country to register.
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