Anyiam Chimkwesiri Wins Verboheit Mathematics Competition
Oluchi Chibuzor
A student of Penny International College, Anyiam Chimkwesiri, has emerged the winner of Verboheit Mathematics League Competition that featured over 350 participants from Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo States.
Other winners were Ukeme-Obong, Danison Kina High School, who came second; Kuranga Muhammad of Vetland Senior Grammar School came third, while the Dipo Olomofe Award went to Abdullah Adeyemo of Greater Tomorrow International Day College, who came fourth.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Lagos, the convener, Mathematics League Competition, Tosin Ojo, said that young people must see mathematics as a core skill that they need for life.
With the third edition of the competition witnessing an increased participation, Ojo lauded the quality and intensity displayed by the students.
She emphasised the need for parents to begin to teach their children numeracy as a core soft skill needed to succeed in life.
“I realised that if students, teenagers, will still pay attention to the most important, most fundamental things, they will still make it out of life. Because these skills are at the core, at the bedrock of almost every profession.
“That’s why we did not structure the competition to just be one day, write one exam, you get the prize. Because we recognise that there are students that may not be good enough to just compete for that one day and get a prize.
“But we want to teach them the importance of perseverance, hard work, resilience, grit, which are the things you need to have to be good in mathematics. Because you need to practise and solve the questions.
“When it’s difficult, you need to think about it again, approach it again, not abandon it. So, that’s why we structured it the way we did. It’s a three-month competition, from beginning to the end. And that’s the motivation behind it. This year, we have over 353 applicants.”
Responding on behalf of the winners, Adeyemo pledged to continue to be excellent as the recipient of the co-founder award.
“I want to thank the organisers for this competition which is very tough and transparent. The quality was high because it really pushed everybody,” he said.
