BY BENJAMIN NJOKU

The abysmal performance of Nigerian students in public examinations such as Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, West African School Certificate, National Examinations Council and other similar examinations across the country, has become a major concern to many stakeholders.

To tackle this ugly trend, the National Spelling Competition of Nigeria, NASCON, was recently established. The body, which has as part of its objectives, to encourage creativity and logical thinking in school-age learners through  academic competitions, set out last Thursday to actualise its vision when it held its zonal competition tagged, Lag NASCON Spelling Competition at Igbobi College, Lagos.

The event was held ahead of the grand finale, holding between May 16 and 17, at the University of Lagos, with the theme, Spelling your way to fame.

At the end of the zonal competition, 14-year-old Saheed Malami from Kings College, Lagos, emerged the overall winner, while 13-year old Ajayi Boluwatife from CMS Grammar School won the 2nd position, Effiong Richard Henry, from Ogudu Senior Grammar School, clinched the third position. They were among the 10 students/schools selected to represent Lagos State at the finals.

Others are Nwani Chikamso (St Finbarr’s College, Yaba), Benson Sarah (Livingstone College, Ikorodu), Okocha Frederick (Prudence City College), Olayiwola Babajide (Ebute Elefun High School), Bakare Emmanuel (Igbobi College), Zekeri Ojochenemi (Baptist Model High School, Ikola) and Abioke Uchechukwu (Glady’s High School).