Seventy-eight students and 20 teachers from 40 schools have been honored by the National Mathematical centre, Abuja at the maiden edition of the State Olympiad Science Awards held at the College Hall of Trinity International College, Ofada, Ogun State.
Of this number, the hosts, Trinity International College, raked in 19 student awards and four teacher awards.
The students given awards ranged in performance from first to 10th position, while the teachers were recognized for bringing their wards to between first and third position.
Other schools whose students won awards were Straitgate College, Shagamu; Adeola Odutola College; Christ the Redeemer’s Secondary School; Scholars’ Universal Secondary School; The Ambassadors College, Otta; Iganmode Grammar School; Ansarudeen Comprehensive (Snr.) College, Otta; Faith Academy, Otta; Sacred Heart College, Abeokuta; and Sacred Heart College, Ijebu Ode.
Others were FCE Model Secondary School, Abeokuta; Our Lady of Apostles, Ijebu Ode; Deeper Life Secondary School, Mowe; Rhema Christian Academy; Babcock University High School; Roseborn College, Abeokuta; Ideal Comprehensive College, Abeokuta; Advanced Breed College, Shagamu; Al-Ameen College, Abeokuta; and Victorori Schools, Abeokuta.
The gold category winners from Trinity International College were Dike Alakwe for Biology; Ikenna Ojobo for Junior Science; and Richard Ikediashi and Mofetoluwa Olukuade for Informatics.
Others were Oreofe Adeleye, third in Informatics; Oghenerukome Agose and Oluwatimilehin Akinloye, both fourth in Informatics.
Other senior category winners were Oluwaseun Ayansoga, third in Physics, while Taiwo Akinrowo and Demilade Thompson were both fourth in Biology.
Omotorera Famuyiwa and Olasubomi Adeyemi were both fifth in Physics,
Others were Omobolanle Oyatayo, sixth in informatics; Ayomide Ekundayo and Jerry Isichei, both seventh in Junior Science; Oghenetega Idogun, eighth in Junior Mathematics; Egbonghon Aigbomiah, eighth in Informatics; and Omoboola Famakinwa and Tirenioluwa Famoroti, both ninth in Chemistry.
The four teachers who won awards at Trinity International College were Nelson Omomo, for Physics; Ben Nwoko, for Biology; Ademola Abolade for Informatics; and Joseph Afolayan, for Junior Science.
The Ogun State Facilitator of the National Mathematical Centre, Oluwakemi Oduwole, who represented the Director-General, explained that the awards were organized to recognise those who had performed excellently at the State level, with a view to encouraging them to strive for honours at higher levels of the competition.
The Director of Education, Trinity International College, Funmi Aderinoye, said she was humbled by the decision of the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja to host the awards in the College.
Aderinoye said: “I count it a great honour that Trinity International College was chosen as the venue of the State Awards.
“This is because there are other schools with more imposing structures located in more visible places that could have been selected.”
Aderinoye promised that the programme would motivate the students, in their hundreds, to work harder to achieve excellence.
Mobolaji Adedipe, the Assistant Zonal Education Officer, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, who represented the State Commissioner for Education, Modupe Mujota, said the awards were for exhibition of exemplary behavior, special accomplishment and mastery of their subject matter.
Adedipe enjoined all students to watch less television and spend more time on their studies.