Ondo, FCT representatives win Cowbellpedia Quiz trophy

Students of Adeyemi Demonstration Secondary School, Ondo; and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja in this year’s Cowbellpedia TV Quiz have emerged winners of the mathematics competition. While Ayodeji Akinkuowo, student of Adeyemi Demonstration won the trophy for the senior category; his counterpart, Munachi Ernest-Eze of Loyola Jesuit coasted home the gold medal for the junior cadre.

The duo came top of their counterparts in the finale of the competition held in Lagos at the weekend. In the senior category, Akinkuowo led the pack of five other finalists; with Titilayo Fasoro-Adewale (Hallmark Secondary School, Ondo) winning the award for the second position and Joshua Mokut (Emilis Academy, Calabar, Cross River State) clinching the medal for the third position. Similarly, representative of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, Munachi Ernest-Eze won the trophy for the junior cadre. Ajoke Taiwo, a student of Scholars Universal Secondary School, Ota, Ogun State; came second with Ayomide Fadipe, another student of Loyola Jesuit College winning the medal for the third position.

Speaking at the occasion, Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, producers of Cowbell, the product that sponsors the competition commended all the finalists for standing out of over 34,000 students that enlisted for the mathematics duel. He advised them not to relax on their effort towards reaching greater heights in life.

(L-R): Okechukwu Anyanwu, Director, Quality Assurance, National Examinations Council; Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Ayodeji Akinkuowo, winner in the senior category of 2015 Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz Competition; Munachi Ernest-Eze, winner in the junior category; Kachi Onubogu, Executive Director, Commercial, Promasidor; and Charles Nzuki, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF; at the prize-giving ceremony held in Lagos ... at the weekend

His words: “My candid advice to all finalists in this year’s Cowbellpedia Quiz is that you have done well and I will like to encourage you not to relent but to keep up with the momentum. Let me re-emphasize it here that at Promasidor Nigeria Limited, we are very proud to be nourishing the dreams of our future leaders with our various nutritious products - Cowbell, Onga, Loya, Miksi, Top Tea just to mention but a few. Promasidor believes in Nigeria and its bright future and will therefore continue to invest not only in its business but also in the Nigerian society.

The company has, for over 15 years, been at the forefront of organising mathematics competition for students in secondary schools in Nigeria. Over the years, the company has recorded unabated success year in, year out on the annual competition hitherto known as Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC). However, it announced to the public in February this year that it was adding a new twist to the concept in 2015.


Olivier said: “The TV Quiz Competition added to the mathematics contest this year after 15 years that NASSMAC had run is a reflection of our determination to always explore possible ways of rekindling interest of secondary school students in the subject of mathematics.”

 (L-R): Peters Oyewale, Mathematics Teacher, Adeyemi Demonstration Secondary School, Ondo;  Andrew Enahoro, Head, Legal & Public Relations, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Ayodeji Akinkuowo, winner in the senior category of 2015 Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz Competition; Munachi Ernest-Eze, winner in the junior category; and Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor; at the prize-giving ceremony held in Lagos

The winners in both categories smiled home with cash prizes of N750,000 for the first position; N500,000 for the second; and N250,000 for the third. Their Mathematics teachers also went home with N250,000; N200,000; and N150,000 in that order for the first three. The winning schools were not left out as they were given 5 computer units/printer; 3 computer units/printer; and 2 computer units/printer. Also the champions for the two categories and their mathematics teachers will also be sponsored on an all-expense paid vacation to Gambia.

In his remarks, Professor Abdulrashid Garba, Registrar, National Examination Council (NECO); said Cowbellpedia competition will help Nigeria achieve its aspiration for greatness. His words: “Nigeria wants to be a great nation, but we cannot achieve that if Mathematics and sciences are not taken seriously. This competition is one of those concepts that will help to raise the standard of education in this country.”

Based on this, he said NECO was proud of Cowbell and Cowbellpedia; as he stated: “The Cowbellpedia team is giving hope that all is not lost. They are making the subject of Mathematics exciting.”
He concluded with a promise that NECO will sustain its partnership with Cowbell in ensuring improvement in performance of secondary school students in the subject of Mathematics.
In her Goodwill Message, Ms Jean Gough, Country Representative, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund  (UNICEF), commended the Cowbellpedia Team and Ministry of Education for their strive towards education for all in Nigeria.

Represented by Charles Nzuki, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Gough noted that the literacy rate among young women varies greatly from the lowest 32% in the North-West to 91% in the South.
His words: “If you look at the gender parity, which is the ratio of girls to boys, the best gender parity in primary education is in Ondo having 96.5% and the worse is in Zamfara with 31%.”