By Dayo Adesulu

ASTYMIN, a brand of Fidson Pharmaceutical Plc which has been part of several quiz and essay competitions in our country for the past ten years has come up again with an initiative of rewarding the best pupils in Primary 6 from both public and private schools.

Speaking at a Press briefing recently in Lagos, the General Manager Marketing, Fidson Healthcare, Mr Ola Ijimakin said that the initiative aims at bringing together the best graduating pupil from over 100 schools for a time of extreme fun and thrill.

The purpose of this gesture, he said is the need to address the growing erosion of the need to appreciate intellectual values and reward academic brilliance saying: “In a world where kids are getting increasingly addicted to high-tech electronic games and computerized distractions at the expense of books, a reward platform that celebrates youngsters that have displayed brilliance cannot be over-emphasized.”

According to Ijimakin, ASTYMIN is taking a giant stride by not only partnering but to reward brilliant kids in a way that will make them stay focused on their studies and believe that merit and hard work can still be rewarded.

He noted that this initiative will propel parents, school authorities and teachers alike to put in extra effort in bringing out the best from their pupils since they know that any kid on the hall of fame list personality or glory will rub off on the family and the school at large.

Asked the rationale behind the participating schools, Ijimakin reiterated that ASTYMIN was advertised on the exercise books of about three hundred schools in Lagos to produce the best graduating students in Primary 6.

The result he said, brought entries of one hundred and fifty schools, out of which close to fifty per cent were from public schools, the rest, private. “We selected the pupils from each school based on performance,” he said.

The General Manager pointed out that over a decade, ASTYMIN has partnered schools and educational institutions in the advancement of academic pursuits and the expansion of the frontiers of learning.

He maintained that ASTYMIN will continue to monitor and support these kids in the coming years and mentor these budding geniuses to future greatness.

To Mr Femi Ajala, Brand Manager, ASTYMIN, Brilliance Reward also provides an avenue for academic networking among the kids that could result in positive peer influences adding: “Kids need varied assistance, monitoring and mentoring at every phase of their academic development.”

An Online platform is also to be deployed for interaction among the kids.

The Brilliance Reward comes up on Saturday 30th July, 2011 at Grange School in GRA Ikeja by 10am.