Hannah Adeyemi of Unity Senior College, Lagos, has emerged as the champion of the 2024 edition of the annual Academic Excellence Initiative’s (AEI’s) Scholars’ Day.

The event was titled ‘The Passion for Academic Excellence, Students on Call’.

Following an internet-based quiz competition contested among 82 young Nigerians in Lagos on Saturday, June 22, the organisers announced Ms Adeyemi as the overall best student with 76%.

The first runner-up, Eniola Ajibode, trailed Adeyemi by just two percent. Ajibode is a student of Elias International School, Lagos.

MIMS Comprehensive College’s Akintunde Moosa emerged as the second runner-up.

The first, second, and third candidates had 76%, 74%, and 74% respectively, however, Ajibode beat Moosa to silver on account of speed and accuracy.

While the overall winner was awarded N100,000, the silver and bronze medalists went home with N75,000 and N50,000 respectively.

Abdullahi Muhammad of Iskanulhaq Educational Services took fourth, Nnamdi Isiani of Ideal Crystal School in fifth, and Usoolul Iman College’s AbdulWahab Habeeblah in sixth.

All the six students were rewarded.

At the event, Engr Faheed Olajide, the Executive Director (ED) of AEI, expressed concerns over the worrying rate of dropouts among Nigerians. He reiterated that AEI is determined to develop ideas that could cater for the educational needs of that category of people.

“Nigeria’s greatest resource is in its human capital. And good education does not have a substitute in a nation’s quest for development.

“Our greatest investment towards a prosperous nation lies in youth education. Standing by our vision and formed out of great concern for the growing number of dropouts and the declining academic accomplishments among the Nigerian youths.

“The AEI stands as vanguard seeking to grow academic trailblazers and youths of exemplary character,” he said.

Dr Sofiat Olaosebikan, a lecturer in Algorithms and Complexity, School of Computer Science at the University of Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom (UK), also called for academic excellence.

According to the event’s keynote speaker, students under the tutelage of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) are fortunate to have such a group supporting them throughout their secondary school sojourn.

A first-class graduate of the University of Ibadan Olaosebikan urged young Nigerians to always aim high whilst in the university as it would open doors like scholarships and awards for them.

“Academic excellence goes beyond just getting good grades. It is all about developing a lifelong passion for learning. You have to find a subject that you are very good at, and you have to be passionate about developing yourself around it.

“Find good friends, good support network like the AEI. They would continuously help you develop yourself, your strength, and your goals as well.”

In his remarks, Prince Adesegun Ogungbayi, the project coordinator of AEI, urged the participants to develop the spirit of excellence, offering advice on the future of online examination systems.

“My uncommon scholars, you all need to know that by the year 2030, all your examinations may be through the use of your smartphones and not even personal computer-based. Therefore, prepare ahead.”

“The Annual Award/Scholars Day is very important to prepare all outstanding students across the nation for greatness, and particularly, for them to be able to break more academic grounds in SSCE with 9As and outstanding scores of not less than 380 in 2025 UTME,” he said.