· As NLNG determined to produce critical thinkers as Niger Delta Science School wins 2023 quiz contest
· Andy Odeh says future of the planet in the hand of science and tech
By Ignatius Chukwu
An SSS-2 boy from Niger Delta Science School in Port Harcourt who won the overall prize in the NLNG Science Quiz Contest 2023, Hope Onyedikachi Ahunanya, said he studied like a mad man.
Telling newsmen his experience, he said tore through books day and night to cover all possible areas. He said he felt mad at a point, and was walking almost like a zombie.
He however said he was very happy and was sure to begin to pursue his dreams. He won many prizes including a laptop.
His co-winner, Victor Mgbemele, said he has made up his mind to be a model and to represent what is best in Nigeria. The best school scored 65,899. They were third in 2022.
Enitonia High School came all the way to snatch the second position in the Grand Finale through Bengabari Guman (male) and Peace Normanon with 57,81. The thirst best position went to Ogiigba Comprehensive Secondary School through the dogged fight of Wisdom Josiah and Kenneth Paebi who scored 58,285 points.
Now, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) says it is determined to produce critical thinkers expected to think out solutions to national and global challenges.
The gas giant said this Saturday, May 27, 2023, at the grand finale of their science quiz which saw numerous prizes including top-rated laptops the future of the planet will be in the hands of top scientists and technologists.
For this reason, the General Manager, (External Relations and Sustainable Development), Andy Odeh, said the NLNG wants to encourage critical thinking and a career in the sciences.
Odeh said: “We are very proud of the students who participated in this competition. They showed great enthusiasm and knowledge, and they are a credit to their schools and to Rivers State. We hope that this competition will inspire other young people to learn about science and to pursue careers in science-related fields.”
He said the 2023 science quiz competition is focussed on climate change and net-zero emissions. “This is a critical issue that we all need to be aware of, and we believe that this competition will help to raise awareness among young people and inspire them to take action and become agents of change.”
He stated that the Company recognises the importance of science in achieving its vision of being a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.
“Science is so pervasive that there is hardly anyone in the four corners of Rivers State that hasn’t today counted on science to achieve one elementary task on the other. The fisherman who wakes up, takes his net, enters his boat, and paddles it to that part of the sea where he hopes to make his big catch has depended heavily on science. So is the teacher who woke up this morning, checked his time, his emails and updates on the phone, entered his car and drove to this place. We all depend on science to improve our lives and the way we live it. We depend on science to plan our days and do our tasks. Every new day with new discoveries and inventions, science’s hold on us becomes even stronger and tighter.
“For us at NLNG, science is far from being a subject in the classroom, it is the most credible vehicle to take us from where we are today to where we wish to be tomorrow. Like I said before, we must demystify science to make it accessible to every child in this state.”
Odeh said one way of doing this is to create a buzz around it. “This time, the buzz is a quiz competition around the subject matter. This way the young and curious can be interested in it, can be familiar with it, can,” he said.
He said that NLNG has, through several intervention projects, shown commitment to the development of science, citing the NLNG University Support Programme, targeted at modernizing and equipping laboratories and technical workshops in selected universities in six geopolitical zones in the country; Hospital Support Programme which focuses on increasing capacity in 12 teaching hospitals in the country; and The Nigeria Prize for Science, which is arguably the most prestigious science prize in Africa.”
The science quiz ended on Saturday, 27th May 2023 with Niger Delta Science School, Rumuola, Port Harcourt emerging as the winner in the senior secondary school S.S. 2 category. The competition was held in three stages: the Olympiad, the Championship and the Grand Finale.
This year’s competition focused on theme “Net Zero Science.” The quiz competition was open to S.S. 1 and S.S. 2 levels in secondary schools in Rivers State.
Niger Delta Science School emerged the winner out of seven finalists in the grand finale. Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary and Enitonna High School, Borikiri, took the second and third positions, respectively. Other schools that participated in the finals were Community Senior Secondary School, Rumuomasi (4th position); Model Secondary School, GRA (5th position); Community Secondary School, Aleto Eleme (6th position); and County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche (7th position).
Representing the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Ataisi Ngerebara, Director of Science and Education at the ministry, said NLNG has given opportunity to children who, before now, had no opportunity to showcase their talents. She said science was driving development in the world and that there was a need for young scientists and science enthusiasts in Nigeria to be encouraged in innovativeness and creativity. She stated that the Rivers State Ministry of Education was fully behind the NLNG Science Quiz Competition.
The competition was facilitated by Dragnet Solutions Limited and is in partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Education and the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), Rivers State Chapter.
The NLNG Science Quiz Competition is a great example of how NLNG is promoting science education in Nigeria. The competition is a fun and engaging way to learn about science, and it is helping to raise awareness of the importance of science in our society. NLNG is a valuable partner in the effort to promote science education in Nigeria, and its work is making a real difference.
STAN’s Peter Nwagor urged the NLNG to introduce project exhibition in the competition to allow young scientists showcase what they can design and construct.
