Federal Government College Odi, Bayelsa State has won the first edition of the science quiz competition sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for secondary schools in Bayelsa State.
The competition was organized by the Nigerian Television Authority, Bayelsa State in conjunction with the Science Teachers Association and was open to all secondary schools in state.
The competition which was aired on NTA Yenagoa for 13 weeks had its prize presentation on Wednesday in Yenagoa whereBiedomo Premier School, Yenagoa was presented with prizes for taking the second position and Faith Comprehensive International Secondary, Okutukutu, Yenagoa for placing third.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, Engr. Ernest Nwapa explained that the Board agreed to sponsor the programme because it is in line with its mandate which is to develop the capacities of Nigerians to work in the oil and gas industry and raise competent manpower to successfully take over the management of the industry from foreigners.
He said the Board wanted to start early to develop the capacities of Nigerians, adding that since most activities of the oil and gas industry are science and technology based and the industry remained the main stay of the nation’s economy, it made sense to encourage students to begin early to take interest in science subjects.
Nwapa assured that “the Board will continue to bring the practical bend to science education by illustrating the oil and gas industry so that students can make the connect. Our children must understand that if you want to be sailors, oil executives, innovators, manufacturers, you need to embrace science education.”
He also reiterated the message of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke on the need for young Nigerians to embrace education, stressing that the Board started the sponsorship of the quiz programme in Bayelsa as part of its corporate social responsibility to its host state, which is also the state where oil was first discovered in Nigeria at Oloibiri in 1956.
The Executive Secretary listed other capacity building initiatives of the Board for young Nigerians to include the ICT development initiative for secondary schools as well as other programmes it had designed for universities.
He assured that the Board would continue to promote capacity building programmes for youths of Bayelsa State and the country in general and charged NTA and other organizations to come up with similar programmes for the benefit of the society.
