Until last Thursday, no one pupil had won both the junior and senior categories of the Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC), which started in 1998. But Akintokun Adegboyega of Ota Total Academy, Ota in Ogun State now holds that record.
On that day, at the Ibom Le Meridien Hotel and Resort, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the 13-year old was crowned the winner of the senior secondary category of the competition after scoring 96 per cent in the second stage examination. He had won the junior category of the competition two years earlier as a JSS3 pupil.
He attributes his success to hard work and a deliberate training programme by his school.
“Our school has been training students for this competition right from JSS1. My school sets aside brilliant students who are good in mathematics. The best three among them are chosen to enter for the competition,” he said.
Adegboyega did not achieve the feat without his mathematics teacher, Mr Ganiyu Fatai, who encouraged by his first win, put in efforts to prepare him to win again as an SS2 pupil.
“We did not relent on our efforts because we know that nobody has that record in the history of the competition. The school worked hard to make that record. We thank God for crowning our effort with success,” he said.
To prepare pupils for the examination each year, Fatai said the grooming starts from JSS1.
He said: “We normally have cowbell students in all the classes. When they are in SS1, they would have covered the WAEC syllabus. Then we start with further mathematics and advanced mathematics to widen their scope. Then for those in junior school by the time they are in JSS2, they would have completed the JSS syllabus. In JSS3 we start them with SS1 syllabus. So our JSS3 students can write WAEC and pass. So there is no question that will come around that will be strange.
“We solve a lot of questions. About 70 percent of Cowbell NASSMAC questions are word problem. We teach the students various ways the questions can come.”
Adegboyega won a star prize of N300,000, a laptop computer, trophy, plaque and a bag of branded products from the stables of Promasidor, makers of Cowbell milk and organisers of the programme. His teacher was rewarded with N50,000, while the school got five desktop computers and a printer. The duo will also get an all-expense paid trip to Ghana later in the year.
And, if Adegboyega decides to study Mathematics in the University, the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) will sponsor him to any university anywhere in the world.
Adegboyega was followed in the second position by 15-year old Fiyinfoluwa Abioye of the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC CO-ED), Wuse 2, Abuja with 85 per cent; and Babalola David Oluwasayo of Oritameta Baptist Model School, Ibadan, Oyo State who came third with 83. They got N250,000 and N200,000 as cash prizes, plaques, and products. Their teachers got N30,000 and N20,000, while the schools got three and two computers each.
In the junior category, 13-year old Deborah Adesina of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State won with 81 per cent. Atolagbe Yusuf Olayinka of Nigerian Turkish International College, Isheri, Ogun State and Johnson Stella Doris of Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State were the first and second runners-up in the junior category. They were rewarded with between N150,000 and N250,000 and other gift prizes.
The remaining 14 contestants in the top 10 of both category got N15,000 as consolation prize. Those in the senior category also got mini laptops.
In his speech at the event, Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, noted that for Nigeria to compete with the world in this digital age, its human capital must be well trained in the sciences.
“Transformational development will come from the quality of human capital Nigeria has and this can only be developed through education especially the learning of mathematics and science,” he said.
Thiry said that Promasidor believes in Nigeria and would continue to invest not only in its business but also in its host communities.
He said: “We have demonstrated this faith in the Nigerian society by investing millions of naira in the conduct of the NASSMAC competition and we promise to sustain our support of mathematics as best as we can.”
In his address, the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who was represented by Mrs Chioma Philips, Director, Federal Inspectorate Service, Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister commended Promasidor for getting actively involved in the drive towards developing the standard of education in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State implored other corporate organisations to emulate Promasidor, as education holds the key to the future of the nation.
