With two representatives each, Anambra, Benue, Ogun and Rivers States took the lead in the 15 perfect scores recorded by 14 schools from 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as the National Examinations Council (NECO) announced the result of the 2019 Cowbellpedia Mathematics Qualifying Examination, which was conducted on Saturday, February 9, 2019.

The competition is sponsored by Cowbell Our milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited and the result is now available on Cowbellpedia website. Twelve of the high-flying students emerged from the junior category, while the remaining three are in the senior category.

Schools represented in the junior category by these outstanding students include Gloryland Secondary School, Igarra, Edo, State; Grundtvig International Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State, which has two candidates scoring 100 per cent; Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Nigerian Tulip International College, Abuja; Nigerian Tulip International College, Kaduna; Makurdi International School, Mount Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School, Makurdi, both of Benue State; Princely Academy, Abeokuta, and Universal Scholars Secondary School, Ota, both in Ogun State.

Others are Topfaith International Secondary School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; and Witesand School, Lekki, Lagos State. The three candidates with the perfect score in the senior category are from Marist Brothers’ Juniorate, Uturu, Abia State;Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; andJesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The 15 perfect score recorded this year is also ground-breaking as it rested the 2016 feat of six perfect score. A total of 56,073 students, comprising 29,073 (junior category) and 27,000 (senior category) sat for the qualifying exam in 203 centres across the country.

With Stage One over, 108 students (54 each for junior and senior categories) will now proceed to the second stage, which is the Television Quiz Show. That phase will run through preliminary, semi-finals and finals with the best six students in each category competing for the grand prize. The show will be serialised into 13 episodes and aired on 6 local station , AITnetwork DSTV Africa magic across the country from August 10, 2019.

The managing director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Anders Einarsson had announced at the flag-off of the competition that the winner in each of the junior and senior categories will receiveN2 million in addition to an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country. Also in each category, the first and second runners-up will winN1.5 million and N1 million respectively.

The teachers of the top prize winners will be awarded N500,000 while those of the first and second runners-up will receive N400,000 and N300,000 respectively. According to the Marketing Manager of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Abiodun Ayodeji, Cowbellpedia has remained committed to the competition in order to awaken the consciousness and interest in Mathematics amongst Junior and Senior secondary school students in Nigeria.

It also desired to improve students’ performance in the subject pan-Nigeria, create a clear platform for identifying outstanding students, encourage and reward excellence in Mathematics through a creditable platform. The Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show is organised in partnership with NECO to widen the reach to participants across the country.

And the institution has been so impressed with the sponsors that it pledged its continued technical support for the project. NECO’s Director of Examination Development, Mr Mustapha Abdul, who represented the Acting Registrar, Mr Abubakar Gana, at last year’s final, described Cowbellpedia as laudable as it enables students across the country to compete with each other.