A nine-year-old has emerged winner in the annual mathematics competition tagged ‘The Ultimate Mathematics Ambassadors’ (TUMA 2018) for the primary 5 and 6 pupils in both private and public schools within Lagos and Ogun states, organised by the Ambassadors Schools, Ota, Ogun State.
Renfred Ize Alonge from Universal Primary School, Ota, was overall champion scoring 86% above other contestants from over 300 schools.
He got a cash prize of N200, 000, a plaque, a laptop and textbooks for his school, while his class teacher got N75, 000 cash and a plaque.
Other winners are Oganla Faizal Oluwatobi from Tomobid Primary School, Ikeja in the second position scoring 85.3% while Oboegbulam Adanna Jesicca of Dr. Soyemi Memorial Schools, Festac Town, came third.
Both were rewarded with N150, 000 and N100,000 cash each with other prizes for their schools and teachers. Top 20 best winners were equally rewarded with cash prize of N30, 000 for position 4 – 10, while 11 – 20 got N15,000 and certificate of participation.
Some of the participating schools who had featured consistently in the past editions were also rewarded.
The TUMA award, in its 6th edition, is an initiative of The Ambassadors Schools, Ota aimed at giving back to society as their core corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.
The competition targeted at primary pupils within Lagos and Ogun States is based on need to discover, encourage and challenge mathematically, gifted learners in Nigeria.
According to the Chairman, Ambassadors Schools, Mr. Yomi Osewa, the school is doing this to stimulate the interest of pupils in the study of mathematics, thereby reducing or eliminating mathematics phobia amongst pupils in our country.
In a keynote speech delivered with a topic “Mathematics for everyday life” by the guest speaker, Dr. Bishop Sheila, head, Department of Mathematics, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun , stressed the need for students to embrace and see mathematics as a simple and friendly subject.
Dignitaries at the award ceremony include Mrs. Oloko O. M, Zonal Education Officer, Ado-Odo, Ota, representing Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Modupe Mojota ; Engr. O. Oludare, Principal Partner, Frugal Consult as Father of the Day while Pharmacist Lolu Ojo, MD, Merit Healthcare as Chairman of the event. Participated schools were highly represented alongside parents and guardians.