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.
