9-year-old Enwere-Kingsley Ikenna of Cuddy Kids School, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos has emerged overall winner of the 16th Annual National Mathematics Competition (ANMC).
Enwere-Kingsley Ikenna won gold medal, scoring 98.85 percent to defeat 39,518 candidates who participated in the competition in the 36 states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The competition, organised by National Mathematical Centre and Nigeria Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) Abuja, was to reward hard work for pupils who devoted time to surmount the phobia associated with mathematics.
Mr. Ercan Yilmaz, Principal, NTIC, Ogun Chapter, said Ikenna gets all expenses paid full scholarship with ₦300,000 cash prize, while his teacher receives ₦200,000 and his school gets a digital printer and desktop.
Mr. Yilmaz said pupils who emerged winners from second to seventh position would also get full scholarship from the college while winners from eighth to the twelfth position would get 100 percent scholarship on tuition, among other prizes.
The other top 11 finalist are Kayode Oluwaseyi-Emeka of Brainiacs Montessori Schools, Ogun, who emerged second position with 97.37 percent and got a cash prize of ₦200,000, ₦100,000 for teacher, a digital printer and desktop for school.
Daaron Okam, of Bridging gap Schools, Lagos, came third with 96.53 percent with cash prize of ₦100,000, the teacher receives ₦75,000, a digital printer for school, while Ayomikun Bello emerged fourth position.
Adebayo joy of Petoa Nursery and Primary School, Ekiti, came fifth position with 94.89 percent, Isabela Adubifa of Corona Schools, Victoria Island, Lagos, came sixth with 94.77 percent, while Onwumere Ucheochukwu of St. Saviour School, Lagos, emerged seventh position with 94.06 percent.
Oluwalade Oluwademilade of Living Spring School, Lekki, came eight with 93.41 percent, Esekhalu Ehinowu of Play Learn Academy bagged ninth position with 93.40 percent while Adewale Ajayi of Migration Montessori, Ogun, emerged tenth position with 93.25 percent.
Also, Patrick Taiwo of Adeola Odutola College, Ogun, emerged eleventh position with 93.14 percent and Eunice Oluwatomi of Oluwarotimi Nursery and Primary School, Akure, bagged the twelfth position.
The winners emerged from the fourth to twelfth position also received various cash prizes which ranged from ₦75,000 to ₦25,000 for the least person and ₦50,000 to ₦20,000 for their teachers.
According to Mr. Yilmaz:
“This is certainly a display of academic commitment par excellence which NTIC as a school that rewards hard work would not be tired of doing.
We believe that pupils who could devote much of their time to the mastery of mathematics, that others in their ignorance, consider a big devil should be more than amply rewarded.”
The principal noted that over the years, the competition had been further strengthened and improved in quality, quantity and the spread of participation.
He lauded the state Universal Basic Education Board in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara States for their partnership to further improve participation, organisation and manpower deployments for the competition.
The 16th edition of the competition was sponsored by Access Bank, Nigeria.
