The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PRIZES

  • Access Bank gives prizes to marathon winners

    Access Bank last Saturday gave out $120,000 to three top winners in the 2018 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

    Kenyan athletes dominated the male category as Kiprotich Kiroi, Ronny Kiboss and Peter Benjamin emerged in first, second and third place winners, taking home $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.

    Ethiopian athletes Ayelu Hordofa, Tigist Girma and Guta Herpha also swept the female category, emerging first, second and third respectively. With increase of N2 million in the 2018 edition, Iliya Pam and Deborah Pam were rewarded with N3 million each, as they emerged first place in the Nigerian male and female category respectively.

    A total of 165,000 athletes selected from across the continent battled for prizes at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. Over 40,000 participants took part in the 10 kilometre family race, as an impressive number of 125,000 athletes, including notable international marathoners, also contested for the $50,000 prize money in the 42km-long race. The marathon kicked off at the National Stadium, Surulere, while the 10km race started at the Lekki Roundabout, Ikoyi-Lekki Link Bridge.

    Speaking before the event, the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, emphasized the bank’s immense pride as a title sponsor of the Lagos Marathon, stating that the event is an opportunity to highlight the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

    “Our approach to advancing Nigeria’s blossoming drive for health and fitness, through the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, also reflects our capacity to create value for stakeholders. We have made it our responsibility to encourage the general public in the adoption of lifestyles that promote good health and well-being,” he said.

    Speaking during the prize presentation, the Executive Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, reiterated the need to support Nigerian marathon runners, as he stated his intention to invest in training of the athletes in order to improve their performances for the 2020 edition of the marathon.

  • Handsome prizes await QMA contestants

    With preparations for this year’s edition of Queen Moremi Ajasoro (QMA) beauty pageant in full swing, organisers of the yearly event have promised mouth-watering prizes for the winner and the runners up.

    Scheduled to hold in November in Lagos, winner of the second edition of the pageant will cart home a brand new car from one of the sponsors of the event and a N5 million investment fund as organisers plan to formally launch QMA Impact Investment Fund as part of the project.

    In addition, the organisers said that the new queen automatically becomes the Cultural Ambassador to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, who is the grand patron of the House of Oduduwa and promoter of the beauty pageant. With this, she will enjoy the privilege of accompanying the royal father to many of his engagements while expected to model the highest queenly characters that Queen Moremi Ajasoro were known for.

    Also, the queen will be styled through her one year reign by the headline designers, make up artists, and stylists of the beauty pageant, which include Mon’ Ami (Larry Kay Ojomo of Mon’ Ami Clothing), whose first set of collections for the event was showcased on London runway during the recently held Africa Fashion Week London.

    Speaking on this development, the Heritage Ambassador of Queen Moremi Ajasoro Legacy, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, said it is a sign that the event would live to its billing as a super beauty pageant different from others because of the royal and cultural spin to it. Ademiluyi, who is also the founder of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and London, disclosed that more prizes are expected as a number of the sponsors and partners are yet to come up with their promised packages.

    Queen Moremi Ajasoro (QMA) beauty pageant is part of effort of the Ooni of Ife to preserve and promote the legacies of the Ife queen as well as create role models and empower young Nigerian ladies to be productive and contribute meaningful to Nigeria and the globe.

  • Dangote Cement redeems N500m prizes to customers

    Dangote Cement redeems N500m prizes to customers

    The management of Dangote Cement Plc at the weekend redeemed the prizes won by its customers, splashing them with thousands of cement bags and branded containers worth N480 million in its retailers bonanza for season two.

    No fewer than 10 retailers, who emerged as star winners from the company’s West region claimed their prizes at the weekend with some going home with 1,200 bags of cement with 40 ft container and others winning 600 bags with 20 ft containers.

    Amid celebration, members of the company’s management moved from locations to locations in a carnival like procession to deliver the products and containers to each of the winners at their business locations, mostly markets to the surprise of many other traders.

    Leader of the team, Mrs. Funmi Sanni, the West Regional Sales Director, said the decision to take the products to the retailers in their respective place of trade was to prove that the bonanza was not a fluke but real and that no sacrifice is too much for the company to bear for its retailers.

    She explained that the Dangote Cement management designed the bonanza to reward its loyal retailers and help them shore up their businesses.

    According to her, this is why it included containers in the winning package.

    On how the retailers won, the regional director explained that all they need do is to buy up to 300 bags and collect a coupon, fill it and drop in the designated collection box.

    Every week, a draws are held to select star winners. Anyone could win the 1200 bags, 600 bags and certainly everyday some people win 10 bags of cement as consolation prizes.

    The first star winner last week from the region was Mrs. Ganiyat Abiola of Buthayna Nigeria Ltd, whose place of business is the popular Mararaba market in Ilorin.

    The company held a long procession from its  Olorunsogo  mega store  with the trailer load of cement to offload to the winner. Her winning is estimated to cost N4 million.

    The entire market was held up as the procession attracted attention to the fact that a star winner of the bonanza is from the market.

    Reacting, Mrs. Abiola, who has been in cement business for close to 30 years, said it has never happened before that a retailer would win in a promo and the company would come in the full public glare to redeem the price.

    Six star winners, who also won in Benin and Auchi, took delivery of their products and containers in the Edo State capital.

    A winner, Nora Omolara, said his winning was a challenge to other retailers in Edo .

    From there the procession headed to Ibadan, where the street winner, Gbadegoye Anthony, danced to the tunes churned out by the boys brigade band on sighting the lorry load of cements and the container.

    Anthony of Goodness and Mercy Company said he got to know about the promo about one month ago and decided to give it a trial by submitting his coupon.

  • Nigerite rewards staff with cash prizes, gifts

    Nigerite rewards staff with cash prizes, gifts

    Nigerite Limited, the foremost building construction support company in Nigeria, recently rewarded 50 members of its staff for their commitment and diligence to work as well as loyalty and contribution to the growth of the company in the Nigerian market.

    The recognition of these outstanding members of staff took place during the 2016 end-of-year  staff party held on the premises of the company in the Ikeja area of Lagos.

    The event that was used to also socialize with the entire workforce saw the awardees going home with various prizes, including, Nigerite products, electronic gadgets, plaques and cash prizes.

    Prior to the party, a novelty match was organised between the technical and administration staff members, at the end of which the technical team defeated the administration team by three goals to two.

     Managing Director, Nigerite Limited, Frank Le Bris, said the event is an annual ceremony that has been designed to encourage bonding and camaraderie amongst members of staff as well as reward loyalty for their contribution to the growth of the company.

    “As a responsible company, we appreciate the contribution of our people to the growth of the brand and business, hence this award, which is designed to thank all workers for what they have done this year. Aside from using this to socialize, some of our people, who have spent 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years would go home with gift items  which will serve as a token of appreciation for their loyalty.

    Speaking in the same manner, the General Manager, Human Resources, Nigerite Limited, Joshua Bamigboye, said the company always set aside this period of the year to recognise and reward those who have served Nigerite loyally and with all sincerity of purpose.

    To add colour to this year’s edition, Bamigboye said one of the things the company has done was to kit all staff in  attire as well as creating a convivial atmosphere for them to party with colleagues and members of their family.

     Emmanuel Olusola Egbedi, a store officer, in his 50s, was the cynosure of eyes at the event, having spent 30 years working at Nigerite.

    In his reaction to the recognition, Egbedi expressed his appreciation to the management of the company for recognizing him and promised to always be a good ambassador anywhere he finds himself.

    Another beneficiary of the initiative, who has spent 15 years working with Nigerite, Mrs. Victoria Adeyemi, an Application Software Programmer, believes that making Jesus Christ her role model and foundation made the journeys easy for her.

    Akeem Arogundade, a supervisor in the production line, who also doubles as the Secretary of the Senior Staff Association, said doggedness and determination helped him to put in 15 solid years and still counting into the service of the company.

    He also thanked the company for the recognition and promised on behalf of the other awardees to always give their best.

  • Promos:Lottery Commission forces banks to redeem prizes

    As banks try to grow their depositors’ base and help promote a saving culture through lotteries, the National Lottery Commission has intervened in some bank promos to get some banks to redeem their promises to participants.

    Though the  commission boss did not mention any bank by name he urged all banks engaging in promos or planning to engage in one in the future “to keep to their words.”

    This disclosure was made by the Director-General of the National Lottery Commission Adolphous Ekpe at the first Quarterly prize presentation of the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo” of Fidelity bank in Abuja.

    Ekpe stated that the commission was set up to ensure that all those who participate in lotteries particularly promos benefit whether they win or not. According to him, “promo operators are mandated to contribute to a trust fund for a good course.”

    The lottery commission Director-General noted that lottery in Nigeria “is an economic activity that can be done by any organisation and I appeal to Nigerians interest in lotteries to participate only in approved lotteries.”

    Earlier in his address, the Deputy Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Mohammed Balarabe, said the Quarterly prize presentation of the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo” was the sixth promo the bank was involved  in in the last nine years and each promo come with a distinct theme.

    Under the “Get Alert in Millions Savings Promo”, Balarabe stated that “there will be 300 winners for this promo that will last till May 2017.”

    Balarabe noted that the presence of the National Lottery Commission to monitor the bank’s promos has given Fidelity bank promos credibility and integrity.

  • How school clinched all N8.5m Cowbellpedia prizes

    How school clinched all N8.5m Cowbellpedia prizes

    By winning all six prizes available in the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition, The Ambassadors School, Ota in Ogun State has demonstrated that it is in a class of its own. Its Proprietor, Mr Samson Osewa, shares the secret with KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE

    The Ambassadors School, Ota in Ogun State achieved the unprecedented feat of clinching all N8.5million worth of prizes in the final of the 2016 Season Two Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz competition last week.

    The six representatives of the school won the top three prizes in the junior and senior secondary categories of the competition aired on television stations nationwide last Saturday.

    Ayooluwa Oguntade won the star prize of N1 million while Taiwo Adeyemi and Blessing Udoh got N750,000 and N500,000 for coming second and third. They edged out Adegoke Aromolaran of BiboOluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; and Ademola Fatoke and Hassanah Adeyanju both of Ota Total Academy, Ota, Ogun State.

    It was an all girls affair in the junior category won by Juliet Ekoko, who was also rewarded with N1 million. Oreofe Daniel and Glory Okoli got N750,000 and N500,000.  They defeated Oluwafunmbi Fakorede of BiboOluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; Dennis Balogun of Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State; and Oluwatunmise Idowu of Scholars Universal Academy, Ota in the final.

    Ayooluwa, who hopes to become a car inventor, and Juliet, would also go on an education excursion outside Nigeria.

    Their teachers, Mr Kolawole Bello and Mr Iyanuoluwa Osewa got N400,000 each.

    The windfall did not stop for the winners and their teachers at competition level.  At school level, each of the six finalists got N200,000 – up from the N100,000 the school gives for such feat. Mr Bello was rewarded with N250,000 and full scholarship for his daughter’s senior secondary education in the school, while Mr Osewa got N300,000 and an all-expense paid trip to a destination of his choice.

    Ambassadors Proprietor, Mr Samson Osewa, credits the competition for helping the school put a system in place to improve the performance of its pupils in mathematics.

    Osewa said the school started its improvement strategy as far back as 2006 when its first representative to the Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) placed over 100th position in the first stage examination in Ogun State.

    The pharmacist-turned-educationist said putting regular training for mathematics in place and providing incentives for both teachers and pupils has had a ripple effect on the overall academic performance of the school in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Cambridge IGCSE.

    “I want to tell you Ma, that this Cowbell played a significant role.  We can’t forget Cowbell in the school.  They helped us to focus – to do one thing or the other.  And we said if we can achieve in Cowbell, why can’t  we do same  in WASSCE, and Cambridge?” he said.

    Good performance in Mathematics in competition and public examinations starts from the selection of pupils into the school. Osewa said any candidate that scores below 70 per cent in the school’s entrance examination is made to resume one month before starting JSS1 for “Maths Only” classes.

    “One of the ways we also upgraded our maths is that for all the pupils that are coming to our school, if they score less than 70 per cent in Maths in the entrance exam, they come here for one month before we resume to do Maths Only – Maths from 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday for four weeks.  They use two weeks to practice the maths of primary school; and two weeks to do what they will do in JSS1. And they cannot be the same again,” he said.

    Minimum pass mark for Mathematics (and English) in the school is 60 per cent.

    Any pupil that scores less spends the long holidays in school making up, said Iyanuoluwa Osewa, the proprietor’s son.

    “Usually, when the students write exams, students that don’t pass Maths (and English), even if they passed other subjects, they have to come back during the holidays and we have classes for them,” he said.

    Mr Samson Osewa also said Ambassadors School has 17 Mathematics teachers – and it is normal for more than one teacher to be in a class at once.

    “We have more than one teacher teaching a class.  In our senior classes, we have nothing less than three teachers teaching maths at the same time.  As one is teaching, one is marking what they are doing.  If you ask students to do assignment and you don’t mark it, they wont do again. We have to do a lot.

    “In SS3 we have four teachers in class.  Sometimes we split the class – we look at the weak ones so we can focus on them.  When we are preparing for WASSCE, we have a lot of segregations like that.  There are people who if you don’t really try, they will not get C6.  So, we want to try and convert them to C4 so that at worst they make C6.  We look at the ones who are working for Credit and see how we can convert them to B; We look at those working for B and find how to convert them to A1.  And we look at the A1, how do we get the highest mark?” said Osewa.

    Getting 100 per cent in Mathematics is the new challenge Osewa said Ambassadors is giving its pupils, and they are measuring up.  In the Cambridge IGCSE written earlier this year, he said three pupils scored 100 per cent – the best result in Africa.

    “Like in this Cambridge, we used to get 98, 99 per cent.  But we told these ones to get 100.  If you get 100, nobody can beat your record.  100 means you do everything right.  They worked hard and prayed hard.  Three of them got 100 per cent in Mathematics this year and they were the only three in Africa who got 100 per cent. The people from Britain had to come down over here to celebrate them,” he said.

    To prepare for Cowbellpedia, Osewa said the school has pupils in the Cowbell class in every set.  Preparation intensifies as the competition gets closer – with the pupils getting three hours of practice after school hours daily and during the holidays.

    But it is not enough to be good in Mathematics at Ambassadors.  Osewa said the pupils are challenged to do well in other subjects as well such that they become all-rounders.

    “We have an exam that we call King and Queen competition in all subjects every two weeks.  We do 30 minutes and One hour tests in all subjects.  Anybody that scores 85 percent over all is called the King or Queen.  You can’t be King/Queen if you pass some and fail woefully in others.   Those who are King and Queen are celebrated.  If they do it from term to term, they are given some money.  We carry them to supermarkets for shopping.

    “We use Cowbellpedia to develop the whole school.  Other schools choose the brilliant ones and train them.  Those students can even fail other subjects.  But our students here who do Cowbell and other competitions are the best in all subjects,” he said.

    In addition to regular training every term, teachers also get rewarded for good performance in their subjects in public examinations. They get N5,000 for each A1 in Mathematics and a little less for other subjects, while any teacher that records 100 per cent pass in a subject gets additional N25,000.

     

  • Fidelity Bank presents duplex, cash prizes to promo winners

    Fidelity Bank presents duplex, cash prizes to promo winners

    Fidelity Bank Plc has presented a four-bedroom detached duplex in Lekki, a power generating set, refrigerator and cash gifts to lucky winners in its just concluded Save-for-Shelter promo held nationwide.

    Mrs. Clara Ibedu, who won the star prize of a house, was presented the house yesterday in Lagos, making her the third customer to have won a house, with two other customers of the bank, Hadiza Sulieman and Edozen Adodo winning in Abuja and Port Harcourt respectively.

    Mr. Christopher Oluwaseun was also presented his N2 million cash prize, as Obiorah Godwin got N500, 000, while Kazeem Fatai Tokunbo went home with a Fridge. Apoeso Angela Oluwanifemi got a generator.

    The Executive Director, Lagos and Southwest, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the Save-4-Shelter savings promo was borne out of the urge to reduce the housing gap witnessed in the country by encouraging people to save and in the process be rewarded with a good shelter.

    Onyeali-Ikpe said: “The Idea is to stop people from paying rent by winning through the promo and we will continue to do that as people need to be able to get suitable accommodation for themselves because we believe that shelter is a vital aspect in life.”

    She said aside the need for shelter, the lender also wants its customers to have savings culture, as savings for the rainy day is a good initiative meant to be undertaken by all.

    “I feel good that we have come to the end of this draws and the fact that we kept our words to our customers as over N35 million was spent on the promo with various consolation prices to satisfy all our customers, who participated in the draws. There was something for everybody and I am also very happy because our customers have been very loyal and we will continue to reward them,” she said.

    Mrs. Clara Ibedu, a business woman, was excited after the bank presented the star prize of four-bedroom duplex to her. Ibedu said she never expected it to be true as she thought it was a scam. “It was not looking real at first, but today I have come and I now believe it as it shows that savings pay,”she said.

    Speaking on the promo, the bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo explained that all the bank’s customers needed to do was open an account with a minimum deposit of N20, 000 or top up existing accounts with incremental N10, 000. “This makes you eligible for the monthly draw. The savings account could be any in the savings bouquet, which include the Fidelity Savings Accounts (FSA), Fidelity Personal Savings (FPSS), SWEETA among others.

  • Fidelity Bank redeems prizes for ‘Save-for-Shelter’ promo winners

    Fidelity Bank has redeemed the prizes won by customers in the ongoing ‘Save-for-Shelter’ promo. A Fidelity Bank customer based in Lagos, Omowunmi Iyiola, who won N2 million cash got the prize last weekend.
    Two won N1 million each, six others, N500,000 each. Twelve customers won consolation prizes of six refrigerators, and six generators.
    The promo, which will last for six months, is scheduled to dole out three new houses in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, 60 refrigerators, 60 generators, and N35 million in total.
    The monthly draw is open only to savings account holders. Existing accounts have to make a minimum deposit of N10,000 to participate, while, for new accounts, it is a minimum of N20,000.
    According to the bank’s Executive Director, Shared Services, Chijioke Ugochukwu, the exercise was designed to boost the nation’s economy, by increasing financial inclusion and improving savings culture among its customers.
    Explaining the rationale for rewarding its customers, the bank’s Managing Director, Nnamdi Okonkwo said: “The purpose of the draw is not for people to win a house – yes, that’s an endpoint, but that’s not why we are doing it. We are very focused on including financial inclusion; which means that we want a lot more people to come into formalised banking arrangements, rather than keep money in funny places.
    “We want people to save part of what they earn–encouraging savings culture – and if in the process of doing that, you end up becoming a landlord or landlady, I think it’s added incentive for people to save.”
    Okonkwo added that the overriding consideration is to improve the savings culture of the people and increase financial inclusion, because a lot of people don’t even have bank accounts. “If this is one way to encourage them to start banking, even if they are starting with savings account, then we would have achieved something that’s very important for economic development,” he said.
    He said the promo is the lender’s means of reducing the housing deficit in the country and making life better for customers. He urged Nigerians to develop the culture of saving for the rainy day.

  • Fidelity Bank’s customers win N80m promo prizes

    Fidelity Bank Plc has given out N80 million cash prizes to its savings account holders in its Save for Scholarship promo which was concluded at the weekend. Before Friday’s draw in which the lender gave out N15.9 million to 398 winners, it had given out cumulatively, N64.1 million to over 200 winners across the country.

    The bank’s Executive Director, Lagos and Southwest, IK Mbagu said the essence of the promo is to promote savings culture, and empower customers within the economy. He said the promo is aimed at supporting government’s efforts at building sustainable educational standards in the country and providing financial empowerment to the general populace.

    Last weekend’s draw saw Godson Eze and Onuoha Chigozie winning N2 million star prizes each while and Dahud Adeola and Ogbuagu Hycient also won N1 million star prizes each.

    Other winners were Umoh Francis, N500,000; Abdulahi Aliu, N500,000; Charity Shekani, N500,000; Atuanya Daniel among others. Also, Elekan Segun, Aleem Abiodun, Nike Ayanfeoluwa won N210,000 each even as the bank gave out consolation prizes of refrigerators and generators.

    In earlier draws, the bank’s Executive Director, Shared Services, Mrs. Chijioke Ugochukwu, said the lender will continue to fulfill its promises to customers. “At Fidelity Bank, when we make promises, it is always our delight to keep to our word. We know the money will not solve all the needs for education, but it will help,” she said.

    Representative of the Consumer Protection Council, Susan Onwuka said the lender has show high level of transparency and integrity in the conduct of the promo which lasted for six months.

    She commended the bank for keeping its word, and redeeming the prizes as promised. “The exercise has been transparent. The feedback from winners shows that the bank has kept its promises to customers in the course of this promo,” she said.

     

     

    National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) also commended the transparency exhibited by the bank in the course of the promo.

  • ‘Prizes are no determinants of great literature’

    United States-based Nigerian scholar and columnist Okey Ndibe has urged young  writers to write books if there are stories they believe must be told instead of writing to win prizes. He said prizes are important impetus to writers as part of literary competitions, but are not determinants of great literature.

    “Prizes are part of literary competitions, prizes are important and they have their place but prizes are not determinants of great literature. It is a big mistake for someone to write because you want to win the Etisalat Prize or the Caine Prize, you should write because there is a story you believe must be told  and this story will not forgive you if you don’t write it and when you write it, that is its own reward,” he added.

    Ndibe, who spoke at the last Ake Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said Nigeria should support the young writers because they have great stories to tell. He said there is a lot of information for the young writers to work with and be part of the conversation on the nation.

    But he identified passion and commitment as major ingredients that make a writer adding that good structure of editing and enterprising publishers would help bring the works of younger writers to a wider audience.

    “Thematically, in all the genres, there are great opportunities and great stories to tell. What we need in Nigeria now is good structure of editing. So, we need more editors to help young writers shape their work. We also need more enterprising publishers to bring the work of these younger writers to a wide audience. What it takes to be a writer is passion and commitment. I tell young writers not to fall into the trap of wanting to write to make money, wanting to write to win prizes because sometimes prizes come from your writing. But you must write because you are committed to the craft,” he said.

    On Nigeria’s democratic journey, the author of Foreign Gods said politicians have been reckless in the practice of democracy, saying most of the leaders are after their pockets. “We have been reckless. I mean our politicians have been reckless in their so called practice of democracy that the majority of those who presume to be leaders are there for their pocket. So, they are almost bandits who set out to seize the resources of the public. There is no ideological content to what they do and one finds it really disturbing that too much of our country’s vast resources are wasted in payment to so-called democratic structures, which are not productive. They take too much of our country’s resources both as remuneration as well as money that they steal.  So, I doubt if this can be sustained. It is either Nigerians rise up and sanitise the system or the politicians should exercise self-restraint in the way they squander the resources of this country,” Ndibe said.

    A year ago, Ndibe published his latest book, Foreign Gods, a story of Ike who decides to steal the deity in his hometown to sell to a gallery in New York, US and his simple motivation is money. He wants lot of money from selling a deity to enable him have a different life.

    Asked the challenges facing book publishing in US, he said rather than look  at the challenges, he looked at the prospects.

    Continuing, he said: “When I finished the novel the major challenge was finding an agent. I had an agent when I was writing the novel but when I finished it, she read it and said that she had decided not to sell fiction anymore but to sell non-fiction. So, she asked me to look for another agent. For a few months, I wrote to about 10 agents, about half of them ignored me and the other half wrote, praised the novel and recognised its power. But they were not interested because some had enough writers on their list while the others gave other reasons.

    “But in the end, I was lucky to find a publisher Soho Press in New York, who buys manuscripts directly from writers. So, they bought the manuscript from me and they published it and it became their big book of the year. I am very pleased that my book is the biggest book they have published this year.”