Two contestants from Rivers State qualified for the semi-finals of the 2017 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show sponsored by Cowbell, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
In a tensed two-round contest, Oluwafemi Adeyanju of Jesuit Memorial College and Jesse Uche-Nwichi of Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State emerged from the Junior Category.
Olohi Amali of Baptist High School, Naraguta, Plateau State lost in the second round, while Rabiyat Abubakar of NTIC, Kano, Kano State; Flourish Abbey Oloh of Faith Academy, Goshen, Nasarawa, Nasarawa State and Emmanuel Yakubu of Evangel College, Gombe, Gombe State had earlier dropped out in the first round.
Uche-Nwichi, son of a Computer Engineer, also wants to pursue a career in that profession to fulfil his ambition of developing a computer application that will stimulate human memory. He scored 98 percent in the qualifying examination conducted in March 2017. “I am happy that I have crossed the first two hurdles, leaving two more to go. I am hoping for the best. My dream to wear the crown is very much alive,” he said.
Adeyanju, who loves to eat plantain and fish, got a perfect score in the qualifying examinations. He thanked God for helping him to overcome the initial stage fright that tensed him up and prayed for more grace and speed for the battle ahead.
In the Senior Category, Oluwanifise Onafowokan of The Ambassador College, Ota, Ogun State and Plangdi Nepele of the Baptist High School, Naraguta, Plateau State with 125 and 95 points respectively qualified for the semi-finals.
Onafowokan and Nepele each scored 95 per cent in the qualifying examination expressed confidence in their ability to excel in the competition. Living true to her promise, Onafowokan answered 13 questions in the 60 seconds of Fame segment. Her goal is to retain the champion status for her school, which produced the winners in the Senior and Junior Categories last year.
In the preliminary rounds, Onafowokan and Nepele survived the stiff competition from Faith Edokpa of Mount Carmel Secondary School, Ekpoma, Edo State; Gift Nwere of FISO, Owerri, Imo State; Aisha Abubakar of Iqra Science Academy, Jalingo, Taraba State and Musa Usman of Government Science Secondary School, Faskari, Kastina State.
Abubakar, after her exit in the preliminary round, remained undaunted in pursuing her dream career of becoming a Gynaecologist, while Usman said he had put his exit behind him and looked forward to studying Computer Engineering.
An all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country and One Million Naira is the ultimate prize for this year’s winners in both Junior and Senior categories while the first and second runners-up in each category will go home with Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and Five Hundred Thousand Naira respectively.
The teachers of the 2017 champions will be awarded with the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira while those of the first and second runners-up will receive Three Hundred Thousand Naira and Two Hundred Thousand Naira respectively. The winning schools will be rewarded with Mathematics textbooks, desktop computers and printers.
The 2017 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show continues this weekend and will be aired to millions of viewers on DSTV Africa Magic Family channel, Africa Independent Television (AIT) Network and other six television stations across the country.
Parents and stakeholders in the education sector have also lauded Promasidor Nigeria Limited for bankrolling the initiative which is aimed at discovering and celebrating young scientists and future inventors in the country.