By Stephen Adeleye

Kogi State has won the Zonal finals of the 2022 Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) National Science Quiz Competition of Secondary Schools in the North Central zone.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students from Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the FCT Abuja, participated in the quiz competition on Monday at Baptist High School, Lokoja.

The National Coordinator, NNPC National Science Quiz Competition, Mr Tayo Sanni, who announced the results, said the students were tested in various science subjects, and Kogi emerged the winner.

According to him, Kogi emerged first position with 65 points, FCT came second with 60 points, while Plateau came third with 55 points.

”Benue emerged forth position with 50 points; Nasarawa, fifth with 45 points; while Niger and Kwara States, came sixth and seventh with 40 and 35 points respectively,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr. Garba Muhammad, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, congratulated the schools and their students for representing their states in the zonal contest.

Muhammad, who was represented by his Technical Assistant on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Mrs. Doris Lepsen, said the NNPC had made intervention in education and capacity development areas, as a fulcrum of its approach to Corporate Social Responsibility.

He emphasised the NNPC’s commitment to encouraging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (STEM education), which remain the focus of NNPC National Science Quiz Competition, has become stronger than ever.

”I invite all teachers, JETS coordinators, officials of the State Ministries of Education and parents here today to join the NNPC is this journey to create the Nigeria of our dreams by nurturing the mind and building the skill of the nation’s youth.

”We have in front of us today the best of the best. These students met their peers from all the 774 LGAs of Nigeria and battled it out to emerge as the top of their states.

”Today these 28 male and 9 female students will pass the final hurdle on the road to the NNPC Towers in our nation’s capital for the national finals and grand finale of the NNPC Quiz,” he said.

He thanked the State Government and the Ministry of Education, principals and teachers of the host school for the interest, commitment and support which have made the great competition successful since its inception.

Earlier, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB, commended the NNPC for the choice of Kogi to host the 2022 edition of the annual competition.

He said that His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello, had duly promoted and elevated the status of education in the state.

He stressed that Kogi now had Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) and upgraded higher institutions to international standard, through the governor’s benevolent and doggedness.

According to him, as a visionary and pragmatic leader, His Excellency has made education his first and second priority with 30 per cent budgetary allocation to education.

Jones, who represented by the Ministry’s Director, Science and Tech., Mr Moses Ameh, noted that Kogi came first at the zonal level of the same competition held in 2019 in Minna, Niger State.

He appreciated the NNPC for the gesture and humanitarian service to the nation epecially the education industry.

NAN reports that, Ibrahim Abdultarreq, a 14 year old SS 2 student of Champion Group of Schools, Otite, Okehi Local Government Area, represented Kogi State at the competition. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
ASA/

  Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, Ibrahim Abdultareeq, Kogi State, Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Mr. Garba Muhammed, Mr. Moses Ameh, Mr. Tayo Sani, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC