There are very few brands in Nigeria that encourage child-education and Cowbell Milk is definitely one of them. It is produced by Promasidor Nigeria Limited which began operations in Nigeria in March 1993 under the business name of Wonder Foods, with a vision of providing quality, affordable milk powder to Africans. Cowbell became one of Nigeria’s best-loved brands just after a short while. Its slogan “Cowbell, our milk” soon became an anthem for many Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe and ethnic background; cowbell was a unifying factor because of its affordability and simply broke the monopoly in the dairy market almost immediately. It didn’t stop at that, Cowbell has been affecting the lives of ordinary Nigerians in many positive ways and one of them is the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition that gives room for talented Nigerian teenagers to participate in a national mathematics quiz competition and stand a chance of gaining both national and international recognitions with financial gains attached.
ABOUT COWBELLPEDIA MATHEMATICS COMPETITION
For over 20 years, Cowbell has been involved in the sponsorship of Mathematics competition in Secondary Schools in Nigeria. Our objectives have remained the same over these years, as we believe in the total development of the Nigerian Child.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPETITION ARE
To awaken the consciousness and interest in mathematics among Junior and Senior Secondary school students in Nigeria. To improve students’ performance in Mathematics Pan Nigeria. To create a credible platform for identifying outstanding students and encouraging excellence in Mathematics. To provide a credible platform that will reward excellence in the subject area of Mathematics.
Over the years, the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competitionfor both Junior and Senior Secondary categories has evolved from the humble beginning of Lagos State only examination to a nationwide examination that has received the support of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The show is geared towards nourishing the dreams of Nigerian children by providing a platform that recognizes and rewards excellence in Mathematics in addition to the quality nutrition that is provided by the Cowbell brand for the nourishment of the Nigerian populace, especially children.
56,000 PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR’S EDITION
About 56,000 students jostled to cross the stage one hurdle as the qualifying examination of the 2019 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show, held across designated centres nationwide on the 9th of February 2019. This year’s figure represents a 27.2 per cent increase over the 44,000 participants recorded in 2018. Out of this number, the best 108 proceeded to the next stage of the competition, which is the TV Quiz Show proper from which the six finalists in both the junior and senior categories emerged.
17 National winners(top 17 nationwide) and 37 state winners were picked per category to make a total of 54. 12 students had a perfect score of 100% from the junior category at the national examinations. 3 students had a perfect score of 100% from the senior category at the national examinations.
HERE ARE THE CONTESTANTS JUNIOR CATEGORY
Alonge Esmond – Scholars Universal Secondary School, Ogun State. Adeeko Tolu – Rhema Chapel International College, Oyo State Enehizena Michael – Scholars Universal Secondary School, Ogun State Ezekiel Favour – Topfaith International Secondary School, Akwa Ibom State Fasein Ayo – Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model College, Ilorin, Kwara State Lawal Aminat – Seolad International School, Ogun State.
Senior Category Contestants
Ogbonna Enyinna – University of Nigeria Secondary School, Nsukka Campus, Enugu State Famuyiwa Henry – Model Secondary School, Alagbaka, Ondo State Willams Favour – Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja OyekunleFolayemi – Deeper Life High School, Ibadan Campus, Oyo State AkinyemiDabira – The Ambassadors College, Ogun State Olaiya David – Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State
MEET THE WINNERS
In a thrilling Cowbellpedia Mathematics competition final encounter last weekend, Michael Enehizena of The Scholars Universal Secondary School, Ota, Ogun State became the national champion in the junior category while Oghenero Ologe of Zionfield Pinnacle School, Ikorodu, Lagos State won the crown in the senior category. Also in the junior category, Abdul-Quayum Alli, of Ota Total Academy, Ota, Ogun State, and David Charles of Graceland International Secondary School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, came second and third respectively. Akinyemi Dabira of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State and Hezekiah Olabisi of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesha, Osun emerged as first and second runner-up respectively in the senior category.
HUGE PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP
The two champions got N2 million each and an all-expense-paid education excursion outside the country to be accompanied by a parent. The first and second runners-up in each category received N1.5 million and N1 million respectively, while the teachers of the top prize winners were awarded N500, 000. Those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.
NECO BOSS WAS PRESENT
One major boost for the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition was the presence of Mr Stephen Adebunmi, who represented the Acting Registrar of the NECO, Mr Abubakar Gana. He explained that since Mathematics is very central to human and nation’s capacity, the subject deserves all the support from the public and private organisations. The NECO boss commended Promasidor for providing “an excellent platform” to showcase these young Nigerian Mathematicians and future inventors.
PROMASIDOR MD REVEALS WHY MATHEMATICS IS IMPORTANT IN NATION BUILDING
The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Anders Einarsson while speaking last weekend in Lagos, at the finals of season 5 of the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics Television Quiz Show sponsored by Cowbell Milk, said that Mathematics education is the very foundation of society and the pillar of science and technology without which a nation can never become prosperous and economically independent.
Einarsson further explained in a chat with newsmen that the importance of Mathematics in the life of individuals and nations cannot be overemphasised, adding that he was very impressed that the Cowbellpedia initiative has achieved its objective going by the record number of 56,073 participants that took the qualifying examination this year.
This, according to him, is a huge testament to the Cowbellpedia initiative and the interest that Nigerians have in Mathematics. “I am convinced that with the arrays of talents displayed by these young Nigerians here today, Nigeria can rule the world. I advise the youth to continue to sustain their interest in Mathematics because the future is theirs,” he said.
He maintained that Promasidor has found a correlation between the development of cognitive ability that Cowbell Our Milk, gives, and its passion for Nigeria.
PARENTS/TEACHERS ENDORSE COWBELLPEDIA MATHEMATICS COMPETITION
City People’s Brands & Products visited the street again to sample the viewer’s opinion of the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition and some of the comments were recorded below.
Adefulire Adeoti, a mother of four and a store-keeper of a big company in Lagos said “I barely allow my children to watch TV when I am not with them but with or without my presence, they are free to watch Cowbellpediamathematics quiz on TV. This is because I always encourage them to pay attention to figures and when they saw the way their peers are answering questions too, it made them develop more interest in maths.
Mr Nwachukwu Obiora resides in Gbagada, Lagos and his opinion of the TV quiz competition was not different. He said, “Yes I watch that cowbell maths quiz. I like it, I encourage my children to watch because I want my son too to participate in it may be next year.”
“Looking at the performance of my students today since the commencement of Cowbellpedia, it’s been a great leap from good to better. Each student wants to outperform the one before him or, at the very least, maintain the same good record,’’ one of the teachers who would prefer not to be mentioned said.
Another teacher, Mr Abdulrasheed Quadri who tutors at Al-Hiqmat Secondary School in Egbeda, Lagos “We prepared and participated this year but our pupils didn’t make it. We are preparing for the next audition and we believe we can make it all the way to the finals. It is a competition I long to see my pupils participate in and we shall by God’s grace.”
The Cowbellpedia competition is usually one I look out for every year. This may be due to the fact that I am a teacher or just maybe because I wrote it as well when I was in secondary school- I represented my school in the Junior and Senior categories. However, in our own time, you would only be told the state winner and only 36 candidates will write the finals (1 per state). With technology and the likes, the exam has received more followership and a more detailed review of results. Also, the introduction of the quiz show has made it more fun and it is so exhilarating to watch. Promasidor should be commended for doing a very great job way back from 1998 in ensuring a continuity of the competition. Other companies should wake up and organise these sort of competitions for students. The Zain African Challenge, for example, has been rested and it used to be an interesting battle amongst Universities across Africa, another teacher who pleaded anonymity said.
