Isioma Nelson Ifeanyichukwu, a student of Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State, has emerged winner of the sixteenth edition of the 2017 Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), national quiz competition.
The sixteenth edition of the 2017 NNPC quiz competition, which kicked off some months witnessed 18 students from six geopolitical zones, contested at the grade final on Tuesday at the NNPC corporate headquarters, Abuja.
Benjamin Chisom Chinueze, of Dority International, Secondary School Aba, Abia State, came second while the third position was won by Akingbulugbe Oluwatobilob, of Hallmark Secondary School Ondo, Ondo State.
Participants took part in of mathematics, chemistry and NNPC general knowledge.
Speaking at the event, Maikanti Baru, Group Managing Director, NNPC, said the corporation will be providing a one-off educational grant of N100, 000 each for all state winners of the competition to help defray the costs of their tertiary education.
According to him, the overall winner of the competition will get a scholarship award of N300, 000 grants per session throughout the duration of its tertiary education, while 2dn and 3rd will receive a scholarship award of N250, 000 and N200, 000 respectively per session for the duration of their tertiary education.
Baru, added that the NNPC decided to make promotion of science, technology, engineering and Mathematics education a key element of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, saying, “interestingly, it is a reason why we established the NNPC National Quiz Competition with its focus on these branches of knowledge.
“The 2017 edition is the sixteenth in the competitions history. The first edition in 2000 was limited to the Niger Delta. However, in recognition of the strategic importance of the Quiz to our CSR goals, the competition was taken nationwide in 2001.
“We are proud to say that even areas of the North –East that have been affected by the insurgency are not left out of the competition.
Baru stated that in ensuring that best standards are maintained for the competition, NNPC had a partnership with West Africa Examination Council (WAEC); the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) as well as the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN).
Ibe Kachikw, Minister of State for Petroleum, stated that it is a tough competition to go through 774 local governments in the 36 states and come out with bright individuals.
He further encouraged the students to congratulate themselves saying “it’s a call to action.
“When I was young one of the things that we enjoy was competition for layers, representing Nigeria and University of Nsuka, at this time it wasn’t about the money it was the glory of the institution.”
In his advice to the student, Kachikwu said, “apart from getting money for your education, it also brings you to a limelight that opens doors and corridors.
Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of House of Representative who was represented by Joseph Akinlaja, Chairman House of Representative Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, commended the corporation for making the educational competition a key to its corporate social responsibility.
