Oluwanifise
Onafowokan, a student of The Ambassador College, Ota, Ogun State has revealed
that long hours of work and practice are the factors responsible for her deep
knowledge of Mathematics, a subject that is a nightmare for many of her
colleagues.
She
added that the subject, which scares majority of students, comes naturally to
her because of the devotion she pays to it. “I love solving Mathematical
problems until I get tired. It has
become a part of me. It is fun taking my mathematics textbook and my workbook;
it relieves my stress. I just love my Mathematics,” she stated.
She
praised her teacher and the school management for providing a conducive
atmosphere for talents to boom among the students.
At
the end of the preliminary round last weekend, Onafowokan and
Plangdi Nepele of the Baptist High School, Naraguta, Plateau State advanced to
the semi-final stage.
Onafowokan and Nepele, who got 95 per cent in the
qualifying examinations conducted in March 2017 expressed confidence in their
ability to excel in the competition. Onafowokan answered 13 questions in the Cowbellpedia
60 Seconds of Fame segment and has
vowed to emulate her school mate, Ayooluwa Oguntade, who won the Senior Category
last year.
Onafowokan and Nepele contested the preliminary rounds
with Faith Edokpa of Mount Carmel Secondary School, Ekpoma, Edo State; Gift
Nwere of FISO, Owerri, Imo State; Aisha Abubakar of Iqra Science Academy, Jalingo,
Taraba State and Musa Usman of Government Science Secondary School, Faskari, Kastina
State.
In the Junior Category, Oluwafemi Adeyanju of Jesuit
Memorial College and Jesse Uche-Nwichi of Graceland International School, both
in Port Harcourt, Rivers State qualified for the semi-finals.
Uche-Nwichi, son of a Computer Engineer, also wants to
pursue a career in that profession to fulfil his ambition of developing a
computer application that will stimulate human memory. He scored 98 percent in
the qualifying examination conducted in March 2017.
“I am happy that I have crossed the first two hurdles,
leaving two more to go. I am hoping for the best. My dream to wear the crown is
very much alive,” he said.
Adeyanju, whose favourite foods are plantain and fish,
got a perfect score in the qualifying examinations. He was grateful to God for
helping him to overcome the initial stage fright that tensed him up and prayed
for more grace and speed for the battle ahead.
For the
Senior and Junior Categories, the ultimate prize is One Million Naira and an
all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country, while the first and
second runners-up will go home with Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and
Five Hundred Thousand Naira respectively.
Teachers
of the category champions will be awarded the sum of Four Hundred Thousand
Naira, while those of the first and second runners-up will receive Three
Hundred Thousand Naira and Two Hundred Thousand Naira respectively. The winning
schools will each have Mathematics textbooks, desktop computers and printers.
The 2017 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show continues
this weekend and will be aired to
millions of viewers on DSTV Africa Magic Family Channel, Africa Independent
Television (AIT) Network and other six television stations across the country.