Author: PositiveNaija

Ondo and Ogun States have emerged first at the zonal final of the annual National Quiz Competition sponsored by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The two states tied with 60 points each to beat others in the zone at the zonal final of the competition, which took place at Christ Girls School, Ado-Ekiti.

Lagos and Ekiti States also tied with 50 points each, although Lagos later beat Ekiti to third place when it answered a quick question from the quiz master.

Ekiti State came fourth with 50 points, while Oyo and Osun States emerged fifth and sixth positions with 45 and 40 points respectively.

The three states of  Ondo, Ogun and Lagos would represent the zone at the national level of the competition.

Speaking after the competition, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ndu Nghamadu, said that the competition was designed mainly for students in the nation’s secondary schools.

According to him, the competition has  impacted positively on the intellectual attainment of young Nigerians.

He said that the competition had  also provided financial succour to successful contestants who are placed on bursary throughout their university education.

Nghamadu added that many of the winners of the competition had  won academic laurels in tertiary institutions.

Represented by Mr. Gboyega Bello, Nghamadu said that the 2017 edition was the 15th in the history of the competition.

He also said the corporation would  be providing a one-off educational grant of  ₦100,000 each for all state winners of the competition, while a scholarship award of ₦300,000 will be granted per session to the overall winner of the competition.

According to him, second and third place winners will receive a scholarship of ₦250,000 and ₦200,000 respectively per session for the duration of their tertiary education.

In his remarks, Ekiti Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, said that government was ready to partner with any organisation investing in the education sector.

According to the deputy governor, the state government is  committed to enhancing the standard of science-based subjects.

Babatunde Ogunnaike, William L. Friend Chair and dean of the University of Delaware (UD) College of Engineering, has been named to the board of directors of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. His term extends until June 30, 2020.

Babatunde Ogunnaike in his acknowledgement of the membership stated:

“This is a wonderful opportunity to serve the scientific community and beyond. It’s humbling to be selected for this group.”

The Chemical Heritage Foundation, based in Philadelphia, preserves scientific history and examines how science has shaped modern life.

In the words of the UD President Dennis Assanis:

“We at UD are proud of Dean Ogunnaike and his many accomplishments, both on and off our campus. He is a true Renaissance engineer, an accomplished scholar and an inspiring leader. On behalf of the whole University, we congratulate him on this honor.”

Board member Eduardo D. Glandt, dean emeritus of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of those who nominated Ogunnaike for the board. He remarked:

“Dean Ogunnaike is a most unusual individual, someone who has excelled on three very different fronts: industrial practice, scholarly research and education, and academic leadership. One would be very hard pressed to find someone with his level and breadth of achievement.”

Babatunde Ogunnaike has been dean of the College of Engineering since 2011 and a member of the UD faculty since 2002. Before joining UD, he worked in research and development for DuPont for 14 years. He has also taught classes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Lagos and African University of Science and Technology. Ogunnaike earned his doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981.

Ogunnaike will attend his first CHF meeting in October, after which he will join committees within the board. The organization includes four programmatic areas:

• The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History, which houses books, papers, and photographs from prominent scientists and scientific organizations.
• The Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education, which includes the organization’s museum, magazine, podcast, and other public programs and exhibitions. In 2015, the film series “Scientists You Must Know,” which featured five scientists who changed the world, included UD alumnus Robert Gore, the developer of Gore-Tex.
• The Institute for Research, which houses the Center for Oral History and Center for Applied History to bring science history to a wide audience. The Center for Oral History includes oral histories from several engineers who attended or taught at UD.
• The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, which supports a community of visiting fellows who contribute to CHF programming.

Ahmed Bature [NDA/9525/Cdt] has graduated as the best cadet from the 64 Regular Course set of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

A graduate of the computer science cadet, Ahmed Bature graduated with honours and received many awards from the academy. Ahmed Bature was specially recognized for his spectacular achievement during the recently concluded Passing Out Parade at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna state.

The B.Sc (Hons) Computer Science graduate was awarded the Sword of Honour and the Indian Shield as the best graduating student.