A flag of fame was raised for Ogun and Rivers States last weekend following a spectacular performance by their representatives who beat all competitors to be crowned junior and senior champions of the 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics Television Quiz Show.

Akinfoluhan Akinleye of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State pulled a total of 90 points at the junior category, while Chinedu Mgbemena of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, emerged the senior category winner.

The competition, which is sponsored by Cowbell Milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, is aimed at stimulating and re-awakening interest in Mathematics education and learning among Nigerian secondary school students.

In the two-round epic final for the junior category crown, Akinfoluhan soared above Splendour Nwankwo of Jesuit Memorial College and Favour Okarike of Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who were first and second runner-up respectively.

The other contestants who could not progress beyond the first round were Chidozie Uzochukwu of Nigerian Tulip International School, Abuja; Gabriel Akogun from Welkin International; and Loluwa Abiodun of The Ambassadors College, both in Ota, Ogun State.

Akinfoluhan, 13-year-old son of a banker, described his victory as both refreshing and exciting. “I feel very happy to have scaled the hurdle to the final and winning the crown, especially being my first time of participating in the competition. My father will be so happy,” he enthused.

In the classic battle of the senior category, it appeared that Chinedu came to avenge the loss by his school in the junior category as he stamped his authority over his closest challengers.

Attention had been focused on Ambassadors College’s Juliet Ekoko, the 2016 junior category champion, to make history as the first female candidate to win both junior and senior categories of the competition, after Munachi Ernest-Eze, then a student of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja had made history last year by winning both categories within two years.

But, Juliet, apparently nervous, could only finish as second runner-up, coming behind both Chinedu and another female contestant Praise Isinkaye of Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State, the first runner up.

The contestant who could not make it beyond the first round were Jessica Austine, from Federal Government College, Owerri, Imo State; Enoch Adenekan of The Ambassadors College; and Nafisat Abdulwaheed of Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State.

Sixteen-year-old Chinedu, who is also a second timer in the competition, was overwhelmed by his feat, and thanked God and his teacher, Mr Christopher Olasupo for guiding him all the way to ultimate victory.

“My aim in this competition has been to be the best and ultimately, the champion. That is why I practice Mathematics for long hours every day ahead of this competition. I thank God today that the effort is worth the while eventually. I am proud to have made my parents proud,” he told journalists.

In fulfilment of its promise to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cowbell and Mathematics in Nigeria, the star winner in each category had their prize money doubled to N2 million each, in addition to an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country.

The first and second runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.

The teachers of the champions were also rewarded with N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.

In an interaction with newsmen after the programme, the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson affirmed that the Cowbellpedia initiative has met its stated objectives, 20 years after its commencement.

While congratulating the finalists for their excellent performance, Einarsson reiterated the commitment of the company towards education, which he described as the most important investment for the future of Nigerian children.

“The programme has absolutely met its objectives. We are committed to this initiative and Promasidor would continue to support the academic development of Nigerian children,” he assured.

In his remarks, the Acting Registrar of the National Examination Council, Mr. Abubakar Gana, who was represented by Mr. Mustapha Abdul, the Director of Examination Development, commended Promasidor for the Cowbellpedia initiative, and pledged his organisation’s continued technical support for the project.

Meanwhile, next year’s edition of the competition is already in sight as the 2019 Cowbellpedia registration portal has opened for secondary school students across the country to fill in their entries.