By Amaka Abayomi

Iganmode Grammar School, Ojuore, Ota, Ogun State made history last Thursday as they emerged winners of the 2013 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) for the third year running.

The school also won the Benson Oweka Memorial Prize of higher education exercise books and pens for all its students for its consistent outstanding performance average over a three-year period spanning 2011 to 2013.

The prize was instituted in memory of late Benson Oweka, the Brand Manager of Cowbell Milk who died 11 years ago in a plane crash in Kano.

Coming first with 94 per cent in the senior category was Master Akindele Oyedele, an SS2 student of Iganmode Grammar School, who went home with N300,000 and a laptop.

Following closely with 83 per cent was Miss Adegbohungbe Lois from Reality High School, Ilesa, Osun State, who won N250,000 and also a laptop while Master Obasi Nnamdi Peter from University of Nigeria Secondary School, Enugu, with 81 per cent took third position. He went home with N200,000 and a laptop.

In the junior category, 13-year-old Master Iyoha Omonzokpia of Loyola Jesuit College, Mangoro, Abuja, came first with 93 per cent. He carted home N250,000.

Omojola Samuel of Reality High School, Oromu, Osun State, came second with 91 per cent and went home with N200,000 while 14-year-old Master Amulah Caleb, with 89 per cent, came third and won for himself N150,000.

While the top 10 winners in the senior category went home with laptops, the national champions and their teachers in both categories will be sponsored to an all-expense paid vacation by Promasidor.

Welcoming the winners and guests, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Nigeria, Chief Keith Richards, said the vision of the organisation is to give all eligible Nigerian children the opportunity to participate in the competition, thus improving their performance in mathematics.

”The primary objective of the CSR initiative is to arouse and re-awaken interest in mathematics amongst secondary school students as a road map to nation building.”

In a keynote address, the Director-General and Chief Executive of the National Mathematical Centre, Professor Adewale Solarin, noted that NASSMAC is Promasidor’s contribution to the Federal Government’s efforts to ensure the technological development of the country through popularisation of mathematics and mathematical sciences amongst the youths.

In the same vein, a Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Education, who represented the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, Dr. Abbas Adebibu, thanked Promasidor for supporting the transformation agenda of the Federal Government through its sponsorship of NASSMAC on an annual basis.