The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cowbell

  • 56,000 students participate in Cowbellpedia maths competition examination

    About 56,000 students jostled to cross the stage one hurdle as the qualifying examination of the 2019 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show, sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, held across designated centres nationwide 9th February, 2019.

    This year’s figure represents a 27.2 percent increase over the 44,000 participants recorded in 2018.

    Out of this number, the best 108 will proceed to the next stage of the competition, which is the TV Quiz Show proper.

    The two-hour long examination was hitch-free in all the centres as candidates with confirmation slips were tested in the written examination.

    Officials of the respective state’s Ministry of Education and the National Examination Council (NECO) supervised the examination at various centres.

    Some candidates at some of the centres expressed optimism about their ability to make it to the next stage of the competition.

    An SS2 student of Iponri Grammar School, Lagos, Emmanuel Adeoti, said he hoped to advance to the TV Quiz Show proper, regardless of the hurdles ahead of him. ‘’The road to the Quiz Show may be quite difficult, but I’m sure I will be among the successful participants,”he enthused.

    ‘’I prepared very well for this exam and I look forward to being at the TV Quiz Show,” said Musiliu Adio of Community Junior Grammar School also in Lagos.

    Assessing the conduct of the candidates at his designated centre, a NECO official, Charles Aneke, said although it was quite an arduous task getting the candidates to follow instructions, the exercise was a success.

    An official of Lagos State Ministry of Education, Benedict Adegoke, also expressed satisfaction with the general conduct of the candidates. “They were all seated before exam began. It wasn’t a case of having to run after one student or the other,” Adegoke disclosed.

    The teachers commended organisers of the Cowbellpedia TV Quiz, for sustaining the annual Mathematics competition which, they said, has continued to spur the desire for excellence in their students.

    “Looking at the performance of my students today since the commencement of Cowbellpedia, it’s been a great leap from good to better. Each student wants to outperform the one before him or, at the very least, maintain the same good record,’’ said Abimbola Afolarin, a teacher at one of the centres.

    The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria, Anders Einarson, had earlier explained during the flag-off of the competition that the ultimate prize for this year’s edition is N2 million and an all-expenses paid educational excursion outside the country. The first and second runners-up will go home with N1.5million and N1 million respectively.

    While the teacher of the top prize winner will be awarded N500, 000, those of the first and second runners-up will get N400, 000 and N300, 000 respectively.

  • Cowbell boost prize for Cowbellpedia winners

    The 2018 edition of Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz show and the search for the next inventor commenced on a high note on Tuesday in Lagos as Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk, announced an expansion of the initiative to mark 20 years relationship of Cowbell and Mathematics.

    Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Mr. Anders Einarsson, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria, explained to journalists that this year’s prize money has been doubled as winners in both categories would receive N2, 000,000 with an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country for the winners in both categories while 1st and 2nd runners up will receive N1, 500,000 and N1, 000,000 respectively.

    The teachers of the top prize winners will be awarded N500, 000 while those of the first and second runners-up will receive N400, 000 and N300, 000 respectively. The competition is sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited.

    In addition, Einarsson informed that the company is launching the Cowbellpedia Academy, a workshop for students and teachers in partnership with a top foreign university to expose participants to new and up-to-date learning techniques required to achieve and improve academic excellence.

    To further sustain the growing interest in Mathematics by the relevant groups, Einarsson disclosed that the company came up with the Cowbellpedia Compendium initiative, which was launched at the event, as part of the 20th anniversary commemorative activities.

    The Cowbellpedia Compendium is a compilation of solved questions from the past Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show editions for each category. This is to improve proficiency of students in Mathematics.

    “This Compendium is our 20th anniversary gift to all students across Nigeria and is available both in hard copy and electronic version. Like in the previous editions, the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show is open to students in JSS 3 and SSS 2 from 10 – 18 years of age attending full time secondary education in both public and private schools across Nigeria, entry to the competition is free. The competition is divided into two phases– Stage 1 Qualifying Written Examination and Stage 2 TV Quiz Show. The Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz show is divided into two sections – Stage 1 Qualifying Written Examination and Stage 2 TV Quiz Show.

    “For the Stage 1, we are continuing with the initiative that we started in 2016 for mixed secondary schools to nominate a minimum of two girls for each category to represent such school. This is our own little way of encouraging the girl child to take interest in education especially the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses,” he said. The Promasidor boss also assured that the company would continue to stimulate the interest of young Nigerians in the study of Mathematics as “Cowbellpedia is a demonstration of our commitment.”

  • Cowbell Maths classes now on radio

    For thrice weekly, secondary school pupils can tune in to 15 radio stations nationwide for five minutes mathematics classes.

    Called Cowbellpedia, and powered by Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, makers of Cowbell Milk, Category Manager, Dairy, Mr Abiodun Ayodeji, said the classes started airing last month.

    Ayodeji, who spoke while monitoring the first stage examination of this year’s Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) last Saturday in Lagos, said the three radio stations the maths classes air in Lagos are Rainbow FM, Radio Continental, and Star FM.

    He said the classes teach various topics in Mathematics or even solve questions of past public examinations.

    “Cowbellpedia radio started five minutes maths classes, which airs three times weekly – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and we have received positive feedback.  The topics are drawn from the syllabus. It airs on 15 radio stations.  It is a product of efforts we made to reach out to stakeholders on how to improve the NASSMAC competition,” he said.

    At the Immaculate Heart Senior Secondary School, Maryland, Lagos, where Ayodeji monitored the first stage NASSMAC examination, over 500 secondary school pupils turned up for the examination.  The centre was one of the 19 centres in Lagos where the examination took place. About 50,000 pupils wrote the examination in 184 centres nationwide.

    Except for candidates who were turned away for not coming with their registration forms or passport photographs, the examination took place without hitches.

    Ayodeji expressed satisfaction with the level of organisation and quality of invigilation, which he said upholds the integrity of the competition that is now in its 15th edition.

    He said the second stage of the competition, which has now been transformed into quiz format, will be serialised into 30 editions and aired on television during the long vacation.

    Top three winners of the first stage examination would in each state be rewarded with between N25,000 and N15,000.  They will get a chance to win much higher amounts if they make it to the last 10 of the quiz stage.

    The top prizes this year have been increased by 62 per cent – from N300,000 to N750,000 for the best overall in the senior secondary category.  The second placed winner will get N500,000 (from N250,000), while the third will get N250,000.

    Competition Coordinator at Caleb British Academy, Magodo, was Mrs Adaobi Nnonagor, said she was hopeful that her school, which is participating for the second time, would make it to the second stage because of the level of preparation for the competition.

  • Cash rain for maths wizkids in Cowbell contest

    Cash rain for maths wizkids in Cowbell contest

    Promasidor, organisers of the Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC), has added a new twist to this year’s edition of the competition which was flagged off at a briefing at the firm’s Lagos headquarters on Tuesday last week.

    Managing Director of the company, Mr Olivier Thiry said the second stage of the mathematics competition, which used to be a written examination, has been transformed into quiz.

    He added that this year also promises to be more rewarding for winners, their teachers and their schools.

    “We will now have a ‘Stage 2 Reloaded’, which includes a quiz segment and wonderful new prizes for the winning students and their teachers. Also, I am happy to announce that this 15th edition will see substantial increase in the prize package,” he said.

    The prize money for the top three winners has been reviewed significantly.  The winner will get N750,000 as against the N300,000 presented last year.  The second place will get N500,000 compared to N200,000; while the third will get N250,000 (N150,000 previously).

    The Mathematics teacher of the winner will get N250,000 (N50,000 formerly), while those of the runners up will get N200,000 (N25,000 before) and N150,000 (N20,000 previously) each.  Their schools will get computers, printers and mathematics textbooks – five computers for the winner’s school; three for the first runner up, and two for the second runner up.

    Fifty-four winners from each of the two categories (junior and senior secondary school) that emerge from the first stage which will be written on March 14, 2015 in 189 centres, will feature in the quiz stage.

    Mr Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor Nigeria, said the 54 winners would comprise the top 20 with the highest scores irrespective of their states, while the remaining 34 would be the best from 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory.  (The examination will not hold in the three states where there is insurgency – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe).

    They would go through preliminary, quarter, semi-finals and the final in quiz stage from which the winners would emerge.

    In addition to the prizes planned by Promasidor, Prof Adewale Solarin, Director, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja announced mouthwatering prizes for the top 20 winners of both categories.

    The NMC Director said that:

    •The top 10 winners will be invited to a training camp to select the Nigerian team for the African Academy of Sciences- Pan African Science Olympiad (AAS-PASO);

    •Any among in the senior category interested in studying mathematics in the university, would be sponsored to top universities anywhere in the world;

    •Schools of the top three winners in each category would get 100 NMC Mathematics textbooks; 100 NMC-branded Rubik’s cubes, and 10 NMC Mathematics Olympiad textbooks worth about N1 million.

    • The best pupils from each state that emerge from the first stage examination in the junior category and their teachers would be invited to a one-week Olympiad training camp to prepare free of charge.

    •The best girls in each state from the first category will get invitation to the selection camp for the maiden edition of the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad for Girls holding this year in August.

    Prof Solarin praised Promasidor for supporting the government to improve Mathematics education.

     

  • 13-year old wins Cowbell Maths contest again

    13-year old wins Cowbell Maths contest again

    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.

     

  • Cowbell NASSMAC results for May

    Cowbell NASSMAC results for May

    Results of the First Stage examination of Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) are to be released May 21 on the Promasidor website (www.promasidor-ng.com).

    The examination held in 200 centres in all states (excluding Yobe and Borno) and the Federal Capital Territory last week, was supervised by officials of state ministries of education with several students participating.

    The competition was opened to pupils between ages 10 – 18 years in JSS3 and SSS2 attending full time secondary education in government approved schools in Nigeria. The best three pupils in JSS3 and SS2 classes represented each school in the junior and senior categories.

    The best three pupils in each category at the state level will receive cash awards of N15,000 -N25,000, branded school bags, t-shirts, pens, notebooks and certificates of recognition; while their Mathematics teachers will receive cash award of N15,000 each.

    The best pupils in each category from each of the states and the Federal Capital (74 students in all), accompanied by their mathematics teachers, will be invited to the four regional centres in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt for the second and final stage examination scheduled to hold on May 31, 2014.

     

  • ‘Cowbell competitions open to Nigerians’

    ‘Cowbell competitions open to Nigerians’

    Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk, its Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) is free to Nigerians, the firm’s Managing Director, Chief Keith Richards, has said.

    He spoke at the prize giving ceremony of the competition in Abuja, where he unveiled national champions of this year’s NASSMAC in both the Senior and Junior secondary schools.

    He said the objective of the initiative is to arouse interest in mathematics among secondary school students as a road map to nation building, adding that NASSMAC is open to secondary school pupils studying in Nigeria who are in JSS 3 (for the junior category) and SS2 (for the senior category), aged 10-18 years.

    Richards said the ‘current’ pass rates in Mathematics in West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) pose a challenge not only to teachers, schools and relevant government agencies, but also to parents, Nigerians and indeed well- meaning companies and organisations Promasidor, which have upon themselves to support relevant stakeholders in stemming the tide.

    “Promasidor sees this, not only as a fight to protect our future as individuals, but rather as a fight for the collective future of our beloved country, Nigeria. With the current growth in our economy, we urgently need to develop the human resource capability to drive, support, sustain and surpass our vision,” Richards said.

    The Director-General and Chief Executive of the National Mathematical Centre, Prof Adewale Solarin, in a keynote address, noted that the competition is Promasidor’s contribution to the efforts of the Federal Government to ensure the technological development of the country through the popularisation of mathematics and mathematical sciences, among the youth.

    Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Abbas Adebibu, who represented the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, thanked the management of Promasidor for supporting the transformation agenda of the Federal Government through its sponsorship of the competition yearly.

    Winners emerged as national champions in the Cowbell NASSMAC. In the Senior category, Master Akindele Oyedele, an SS2 student of Iganmode Grammar School, Ojuore, Ota, Ogun State clinched the first position with 94 per cent in the objective and theory in the second stage exam conducted in May.

    He was followed by a female pupil, Miss Adegbohungbe Lois from Reality High School, Ilesa, Osun State with 83 per cent as the first runner-up while Master Obasi Nnamdi Peter from the University of Nigeria (UNN) Secondary School, Enugu who scored 81 per cent, took third position.