Recently updated on February 12th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
Jessey Uche-Nwichi and Munachi Ernest-Eze have emerged overall winners respectively in the junior and senior categories of the 2017 Cowbellpedia Maths Quiz.
By winning the 2017 Cowbellpedia Maths Quiz, Jessey Uche-Nwichi and Munachi Ernest-Eze emerge Nigeria’s youngest next inventors.
Munachi made history however, having won the 2015 edition in the junior category and coming back to win in the senior category.
Munachi is a 16-year-old student of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja. He was the Cowbellpedia 2015 junior champion and is the first person to win the competition twice, as a junior and as a senior.
Jessey Uche-Nwichi is a 13-year-old student of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Each of the champions got ₦1 million and an all-expense paid education excursion outside the country.
In the senior category, Munachi Ernest-Eze was trailed by Oluwanifise Onafowokan of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State and Evans Owamoyo of Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State, who finished as first and second runners-up respectively.
Michael Paul of Excel Grace Academy, Akaajime-Gboko, Benue State; Ikechukwu Ibeh of Federal Government College, Suleja, Niger State; and Tomiwa Olatunbosun of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesha, Osun State were the other finalists in the Senior category.
Munachi Ernest-Eze said:
“I thank God for the end of the journey today. I am now confident to tell Nigerians that I was a Champion and I am a Champion again today. God has done it and it is marvellous in my eyes.”
Uche-Nwichi scored 115 points to confine Oluwafemi Adeyanju of Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Ezekiel Ekanem of Advanced Breed Group of Schools, Sagamu, Ogun State to the second and third places respectively.
Uche-Nwichi dedicated his victory to God and his parents, while promising to maintain the momentum.
The first and second runners-up for each category won ₦750,000 and ₦500,000 respectively.
Each teacher of the 2017 champions in each category was rewarded with ₦400,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 respectively.
Also, the winning schools won Mathematics textbooks, desktop computers and printers.
According to the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson:
“The programme has absolutely met its objectives.
We are committed to this initiative and by next year, we will celebrate 20 years of Mathematics and Cowbell.”
In his remarks, the Registrar of the National Examination Council, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, commended Promasidor for the Cowbellpedia initiative and stated that education remained the best legacy parents and society could give to children.
Uwakwe pledged NECO’s continued technical support for the project in appreciation of what he described as Promasidor’s great Corporate Social Responsibility to the Nigerian society.
The journey of the finalists began when 52,000 students wrote a preliminary test. Out of the 52,000, 108 made it to the live-show. These 108 were the 74 best junior and senior students from all 36 states and the FCT (to ensure every state is represented). The remaining 34 were the best students nationwide – 17 junior and senior. In the end, 12 finalists emerged – 6 in the junior and senior categories and 2 of them (Munachiso and Jessey) won the grand prize of 1 million Naira each, an all-paid educational excursion outside the country and the ultimate bragging rights of being the 2017 Mathematics Champions.
