The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) on Thursday honoured 69 students of both junior and senior secondary schools with various awards for their outstanding performances in the 2018/2019 Nigeria National Olympiad competition.
At the awards ceremony in Sheda, Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Prof. Stephen Onah, Director/Chief Executive of NMC, commended the awardees for their performances in the five subject areas of the competition.
Onah said that the beneficiaries should consider themselves as champions, adding that the Olympiad examination was not about how brilliant or clever someone was but about intelligence and having problem-solving skills.
“So in Olympiad training, we don’t teach, we only guide them because the problem you may find even as an instructor you may not know it but a student will tell you the way to do it.
“Because once you are able to train yourself on a problem-solving skill then you will see a problem and your brain will direct you on how to solve it.
He said that through the Olympiad competition over 36 students had won scholarships and studying in universities in various countries including Nigeria.
According to him, there are four stages of the competition before one qualifies for the international level and the centre has been presenting itself at the international level.
Onah appreciated the parents and principals of schools for their support in sponsoring students and teachers to this final stage of the event.
Ms Yetunde Oluwatosin, Education Specialist, UNICEF, commended the students and encouraged them to maintain the spirit of hard work in their future endeavours.
Oluwatosin also reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to training teachers to improve the learning outcome in schools and to continue supporting educational programmes of the centre.
Some of the awardees appreciated the centre for the opportunity given to them and attributed their successes to hard work and consistent practice in the subject areas.
The students were tested in mathematics, physics, informatics, chemistry and biology with Graceland International School, Rivers, emerging overall best in mathematics.
