The game of football requires lot of concentration,
speed, accuracy and precision. And all these skills are necessary to excel in a
seemingly tough subject like Mathematics.
This was the submission of Akinfoluhan Akinleye, the
junior category champion of the 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics
TV Quiz Show, sponsored by Cowbell Milk, the flagship brand from Promasidor
Nigeria Limited.
The 13-year-old son of an Accountant and Banker
explained to journalists at the finals last weekend in Lagos that his love for football
helped in stimulating his thinking and creativity.
“I love football and I play football a lot since I
discovered that there seems to be a connection between the game and Mathematics.
You have to be smart, sharp, fast and intelligent to play football and excel in
Mathematics. It works for me,” Akinfoluhan explained.
In the final contest of the junior category,
Akinfoluhan from The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State proved his mettle as
he beat Splendour Nwankwo of Jesuit Memorial College and Favour Okarike of
Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who
grabbed the first and second runners-up positions respectively.
Earlier in the first round of the exciting final, Chidozie
Uzochukwu of Nigerian Tulip International School, Abuja; Gabriel Akogun from
Welkin International and Loluwa Abiodun of The Ambassadors College, both in
Ota, Ogun State dropped out.
In the senior category contest, Chinedu Mgbemena,
a student of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, rose above his
closest rivals, Praise Isinkaye from Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger
State; Ambassadors College’s Juliet Ekoko, the 2016 junior category champion.
While Praise emerged the first runner up, Juliet ended up as second runner-up.
Jessica Austine from Federal Government College, Owerri, Imo
State; Enoch Adenekan of The Ambassadors College and Nafisat Abdulwaheed from
Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State had earlier crashed out in the first
round of the final.
“It is a dream come true today and I am very
happy that this day has come eventually,” Chinedu told journalists amid the
celebration that marked the final.
As part of the package in commemoration of
the 20th anniversary of Cowbell and Mathematics in Nigeria, the
champions in both categories received N2 million each with an all-expense paid
educational excursion outside the country; while the first and second
runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.
The teachers of the champions were also rewarded
with N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000
and N300,000 respectively.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of
Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson
recalled that in the past 20 years, Cowbell and Mathematics has
expanded in size, scope and prizes as it now holds in over 200 centres across
the nation and in over 11,000 schools.
He congratulated the finalists for their excellent
performance and reiterated the commitment of the company towards education and
the future of Nigerian children.
In his remarks, the Acting Registrar of the National
Examination Council, Mr Abubakar Gana, who was represented by the Director of
Examination Development, Mr Mustapha Abdul commended Promasidor for the
Cowbellpedia initiative and pledged the council’s continued technical support
for the project.
Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for next year’s edition of the
competition. According to the organisers, the 2019 Cowbellpedia registration portal
is now open for secondary school students across the country to register.
From left: Mr Mario Russo, Head of
Commercial, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Akinfoluhan Akinleye, junior category
winner, 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show; Mr Anders
Einarsson, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Chinedu Mgbemena,
senior category winner of the competition; and Mr Mustapha Abdul, Director of
Examinations Development at the National Examinations Council at the finals of
the competition in Lagos last weekend.
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