The competition process was in high-tech. Each contestant from the seven finalist-schools had a gadget or platform to see the question and feed in the answer, fast. The hall was cozy and serene, the Atlantic Hall of the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, one of the most exquisite in the Garden City. The highly concentrated discotheque sound played heavy heartbeat drum beats as the questions flashed on the wide backdrop display board behind the contestants with kpim, ki-tim sounds.
When the Quiz Master or moderator announced the winning school, Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS) with a score of over 68,000 points, the hall exploded. Rivers-born Nazareth Igwe (14) and Akwa Ibom-born Jacob Daniel (16) who represented the Bonny School flew right into the air, requiring officials to chase them about to catch them and bring them down to earth.
The second school was Enitonna High School Borokiri with over 57,700 led by Chukwuema Mkemakolam, while the third was Niger Delta Science School in Port Harcourt with 55,000 points.
Others were: Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Obi/Akpor 53,800; Government Secondary School, Eneka 53,000; Community Secondary School, Kira 52,000; and Okrika National Secondary School 43,000 points.
The first edition was held in Bonny last year while the highly improved second edition was held in Port Harcourt with more schools participating. It was held on senatorial basis along Olympiad Stage, Championship Stage, and Grand Finale Stage. BusinessDay gathered that it was earlier meant for public schools but because there are only four such secondary schools in Bonny, government approval was obtained to open it to the private schools.
The maiden edition winner, Silvia Hart, said at the event that it is a very impactful contest and that the NLNG should be commended for fulfilling all promises and pledges to winning school such as graphic design training, digital design skills, provision of laptops, and lab equipment in our schools.
Other personalities described the addition as another intervention in education sector to add to others such as scholarships in plenty areas both local and foreign, the NLNG prize for literature, etc. There are also youth empowerment schemes for host communities.
Read also: Adventist College wins Kola Daisi University’s Maiden Science Quiz competition
In an interview, the newly appointed Rivers State, the professor, Prince Chinedu Mmom, called on stakeholders to key into the NLNG initiative so that Nigeria can develop an indigenous technology. “The time is ripe. That is my call and that is why I commend this initiative.”
He also called on other corporate bodies and well meaning individuals to support and develop science education in Rivers State and Nigeria at large.
The issue of standard of the science quiz was cleared by Peters Nwagor, the chairman of the Rivers State Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), who said the questions and method of asking them were of standard. He said the questions were not below the standard of the participants while the technique adopted is unique.
The second best school leader, Mkemakolam of Enitonna, who took first in mathematics and computer sections said he studied his books hard to win. Saying he hopes to pursue his mathematics career harder, he urged school to strive to take first next year.
In his welcome address, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, said the competition’s goal is to inspire healthy competition among the youth and to spur interest in science and technology as a way of equipping young minds for nation-building.
He stated that the company’s interest in education and its corporate social responsibility thrust toward youth development in Nigeria was inspired by its vision of being “a globally competitive LNG Company, helping to build a better Nigeria.”
“We all have dreams, dreams of a better tomorrow. We dream of a sustainable future, wherein our inputs into today would materialise as gains for tomorrow. We dream that our children will grow to take their places in civilisation and prosper with a standard of life that assures their progeny of a bright future.”
He went on: “But dreams are one thing, he stated, taking credible steps in determining our dreams’ realistic outcomes is another. “NLNG’s business was once a dream nurtured by sheer grit to become the globally competitive company it is today.
“NLNG is consistently looking towards the future and is harnessing prospects towards that sustainable outlook. Hence, the thrust of NLNG’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework focuses on developing health, education, empowerment, and infrastructure for the benefit of the general society, particularly its host communities,” he said.
He urged the participating schools and students to use the NLNG Science Quiz Competition as a platform for future self-development, adding that NLNG will continue to invest in the educational value chain to support the aspirations of young Nigerians.
Odeh stated further that NLNG had sponsored other education programmes, which include the University Support Programme; renovation of host communities’ schools’ projects; building and equipping of libraries and science laboratories; and scholarship awards at post-primary school, undergraduate and the post-graduate levels.
