The organisers of the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show have attributed the increased students’ participaion to the insistence of online registration only.
They said the competition witnesed record enrolment this year, as a total of 56,073 students participated in stage one of the competition, sponsored by Cowbell Milk, the flagship brand from Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
The number represents a 34 per cent increase over the 41,730 participants recorded in 2018 when the registration format went strictly online. The online format was introduced in 2016 to align with global trend in examination registration.
The Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Abiodun Ayodeji said the online mode of registration has paid off with the new feat recorded in 2019. He encouraged the schools to continue to support the initiative.
This year, Lagos State led the registration chart with 9,860 candidates, followed by Ogun and Oyo States with 4,687 and 4,195 respectively. The three states had been consistent in their lead over the last four years.
Rivers State with 2,492 candidates came fourth overall and first in the South-south region, while Osun State with 2,471 candidates, Ekiti State (2,331 candidates) and Ondo State (2,071) occupied the fifth, sixth and seventh position respectively.
Anambra State led the five south-east states by producing 1,810 candidates, while Plateau State emerged the best in the north with 1,445 candidates.
The analysis also revealed that Sokoto State has 136 per cent registration increase over its enrolment last year; while Adamawa State (110 per cent); Gombe State (99 per cent); Zamfara State (72 per cent), Plateau State (68 per cent) and Edo State (67 per cent) followed in that order.
The result of the first state examination is expected to be announced in June with the best 108 students (54 each for junior and senior categories) proceeding to the second stage, which is the television quiz show, which consists of the preliminary, semi-finals and final rounds.
The show will run in 13 episodes and aired on major television stations across the country.
The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria, Anders Einarsson had earlier said that the ultimate prize for this year’s edition is N2 million and an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country. The first and second runners-up will receive N1.5 million and N1 million respectively,
The teacher of the winner will be awarded N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up will get N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.
Chinedu Mgbemena of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Akinfoluhan Akinleye of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State are the reigning senior and junior champions.
