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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2016
EDUCATION
Ogun Sets New Cowbellpedia Record, Gets Four Semi-final Slots Uchechukwu Nnaike Ogun State has set a record at the ongoing 2016 Cowbellpedia Mathematics Television Quiz show as it produced an all-female four semi-finalists. In the junior category, Oluwafunke Alabi of Scholars Universal Secondary School, Ota and Juliet Ekoko of The Ambassador College, Ota moved to the semi-final stage after the first and second preliminary rounds. The duo competed against Favour Duke-Umanah of Deeper Life High School, Apabuyo, Calabar, Cross River State; Collins Iloabuchi of Dority International Secondary School, Aba, Abia State; Al-Ameen Abdulganiyu of Federal Government College, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; and Ayibatari Ibara of Belary Schools, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State. Ekoko and Alabi scored 98 per cent and 99 per cent respectively in the qualifying
written examination in March 2016 and were among the top 20 candidates. In the senior category, Hasanah Adeyanju of Ota Total Academy joined Chimaka Okey-Ihedi of The Ambassador College, Ota to proceed to the semi-final stage to crown the glory for Ogun State in the seventh preliminary group contest. They competed against Victor Osondu of College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu State; Olamide Ikuomola of Greater Tomorrow International College, ArikigiAkoko, Ondo State; Timothy Adedipe of Shepherd International College, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State; and Simeon Ante of Joy International College, Kaduna State. In the qualifying written examination, Adeyanju scored 97 per cent, while OkeyIhedi scored 96 per cent to qualify as top 20 candidates. The soft spoken Adeyanju expressed confidence about her chances in the competition and hoped that all things
would work well for her. “I am well prepared for this. I also believe I am good enough to win because I am good enough to beat anybody.” Okey-Ihedi and Ekoko were also confident, saying that with the semifinal tickets in their kitty, nothing else can stop them from winning the ultimate prize. The star prize for this year’s edition is N1 million and an all-expenses paid educational excursion outside the country. The teacher of the winning students will receive N400,000. The programme is aired on AIT Network on Saturday, 7pm; TVC Lagos, Saturday, 8pm; NTA Ibadan, Saturday, 9:30am; NTA Kano, Saturday, 2pm; CRBC Calabar, Saturday 7pm; NTA Onitsha, Sunday, 5pm; STV Jos, Sunday, 5pm. It can also be viewed on DSTV Channel 154 on Saturday, 9pm.
Mosquito Nets are a Must for Nigeria ...The Republic of Congo and all of the sub-Saharan Africa. When the female anopheles mosquito bites you, it does so to collect some of your blood, which is critical for its own survival. Mosquitoes are “vampires”! It’s the way they are wired - they need your blood to live! Unfortunately though as a mosquito bites you, it leaves behind, in the bloodied puncture it’s made in your skin, plasmodium parasites which multiply in you, leave you infected with the deadly parasites, cause you malaria as well as a host of associated ailments. MALARIA CAN KILL WITHIN 24 HOURS OF SYMPTOM ONSET (MMV 2016) According to the World Health Organisation, in 2015, 88 per cent of the global malaria cases, occurred in subSaharan Africa only. Sadly, 90 per cent of deaths from malaria, worldwide, also occurred in this region (WHO Factsheet updated 2016). MMV - Medicines for Malaria Venture (online 2016), backs up these figures. They reveal that 214 million new cases of malaria were recorded in 2015 and 88 per cent of them occurred in Africa. Furthermore, they continue that globally in 2015, there were 438,000 malaria deaths of which 90 per cent happened in Africa. Interestingly but sadly, Nigeria and Republic of Congo account for about 35 per cent of the global estimation of deaths from malaria in 2015. African children continue to heavily shoulder the burden of malaria. In 2015, over 300,000 children under five years old globally, died of Malaria. Of these deaths, 292,000 occurred in Africa. WHAT MUST WE DO? The World Health Organisation advises that “vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission.” One way to do this is to sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets. LLINs (Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets) according to WHO are the most effective nets to use. Omoru writes from the UK
L-R: The presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, 1st prize winner of the 13th edition of Mike Okonkwo National Essay competition, Miss. Fadilah Saliu-Ahmed, 2nd prize winner, Miss Adebayo Barakat, 3rd prize winner, Miss. Adeoye Wuraola and Guest Speaker, Mr. Frank Nweke II during the 17th Bishop Mike Okonkwo annual lecture and presentation of prizes to the essay competition winners in Lagos... recently
NTIC Commends Nigerian Youths for Excelling in Academic Contests The Deputy Managing Director (Academics) at the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTIC), Abuja, Mr. Sabri Unal, has commended Nigerian youths for excelling in all areas of scientific study and putting the country in the top league among nations with the ongoing academic competitions. Unal told journalists recently after his school’s participation in series of scientific Olympiad competitions in Nigeria and abroad that with good guidance and the right opportunity, Nigeria can produce future equivalents of Facebook’s
Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and others. While his school has won 45 gold, 50 silver and 71 bronze international academic medals, he said its experience in organisin the International Science Olympiad (ISO) confirms the capacity of Nigerian youths to excel internationally. “NTIC is the pioneer organiser of the ISO, an international competition in science subjects of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer and Biology, with more than 20 participating countries around the world, including Nigeria, Romania,
the Netherlands, Argentina, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the USA. “We have excelled at competitions such as the Informatrix International Computer Project Olympiad, International Art Competition, International Mathematical Olympiad, Pan African Mathematics Olympiad, International Science and Environmental Project ccompetitions, among others.” Unal said his school provides opportunity for 30,000 students to compete for 30 scholarship
slots annually while its ‘Cabinet System’ of classroom setting facilitates students’ concentration in dedicated classes for each subject. “NTIC has an innovative, challenging curriculum, designed to nurture each child’s potential. We take pride in being honoured as the top school in science and arts in Nigeria by the National Mathematical Centre. While academic pursuit is the main priority for us, NTIC is by no means all work and no play. As well as activities being offered, we do arrange excursion to places of attraction in USA, UK, Turkey, among others.”
World Bank, NOUN not Awarding Scholarship to Indigent Students, Says VC Rebecca Ejifoma The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the World Bank have stated that they are not awarding scholarship to indigent or any other category of students. The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Abdalla Adamu said the clarification became necessary in
view of the misunderstanding in some quarters that the bank will be awarding scholarships directly to people who wish to acquire tertiary education through the university. Adamu explained that if NOUN is seeking sponsorship for the less privileged students, such as internally displaced persons, women and indigent
youths, it would first sell the idea to the states. “If a state government buys into the concept, it will then approach the World Bank indicating its interest. The bank will evaluate the request and then, if it is satisfied, provide the funds to NOUN for the sponsorship of students from the state, and only if the World
Bank is satisfied that there will be equity and transparency in the selection process. “The World Bank and NOUN are therefore not going to award scholarship to anybody. Neither will the bank provide any money for the individual states directly for this purpose. The bank is only a facilitator.”
NLFT Donates Sports Equipment to 40 Public Schools in Bauchi Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLFT) has donated sports equipment to 40 public primary schools in Bauchi State as part of its commitment towards promoting grassroots sports development in the country. The Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had officially kicked off the distribution of sports equipment to 2,000 public schools nationwide in Abuja on May 20, 2016. Presenting the equipment to the 40 benefitting schools, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NLTF, Habu Ahmed Gumel, said the intervention programme seeks not only to promote grassroots sports development nationwide but also in line with the federal government’s change agenda of transforming the sports sector to enviable heights and in line with best practices in sports. “We will ensure that government’s objectives to promote grassroots sports development through the application of statutory remittances from lottery proceeds remain sustainable and we will continue to channel resources to key government projects and programmes that will bring succour to ordinary Nigerians. “This intervention programme seeks to enhance our capacity to grow and expand the nation’s talent base by securing the interest and involvement of our children
of primary school age in sporting activities.” Gumel added: “We intend to distribute sports equipment to about 2,000 public primary schools selected nationwide to cover the six geo-political zones and the programme is expected to improve our future performance in sports at all levels by harnessing the potential of our young talents and nurturing their transition to world class athletes, sportsmen and women.” He warned “lottery operators and licensees and business promoters that engage in any form of promotional lottery to keep to their obligations of remitting lottery proceeds to the trust fund, as government will no longer tolerate sharp practices that undermine the growth of lottery good causes in the country.” The executive secretary also urged stakeholders to continue to work with the NLTF to raise awareness of the value of lottery funding to modern life and its transformational legacy to the nation. In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, said the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that the sporting items be distributed across the country shows the preparedness of the government to make a positive impact on every sector of national life.