Delta state wins NNPC 2017 national quiz competition

Ifeanyichkwu came first of seventeen other students in the keenly competed event which took place at the event took place at the NNPC amphitheater in Abuja on Tuesday, November 14, 2017.

This year’s event which is the sixteenth in the series began few months back from the grass root stage of about 774 local government areas of the county, witnessed 18 students from six geopolitical zones, contested at the grade final on Tuesday at the NNPC corporate headquarters in Abuja.

In his opening remark, the group managing director of the NNPC, Dr Malikanti Baru, said the corporation will be providing a one-off educational grant of N100, 000 each for all state winners of the competition to help defray the costs of their tertiary education.

Malikanti noted that the overall winner of the competition will get a scholarship award of N300, 000 grants per session throughout the duration of its tertiary education.

The second and third will receive a scholarship award of N250, 000 and N200, 000 respectively per session for the duration of their tertiary education.

Baru maintained that the NNPC decided to make promotion of science, Technology, Engineering and education a key element of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.

“Interestingly, it is a reason why we established the NNPC National Quiz Competition with its focus on these branches of knowledge.

“The 2017 edition is the sixteenth in the competitions history. The first edition in 2000 was limited to the Niger Delta. However, in recognition of the strategic importance of the Quiz to our CSR goals, the competition was taken nationwide in 2001.

“We are proud to say that even areas of the North –East that have been affected by the insurgency are not left out of the competition".

The NNPC boss urged the girl child to pick up science courses.

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"I will like to urge us to encourage our female children to pursue careers in the sciences. I have g four girls two out of who are medical doctors," he said.Baru stated that in ensuring that best standards are maintained for the competition, NNPC had a partnership with West Africa Examination Council (WAEC); the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) as well as the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN).

Minister of state for petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, stated that it is a tough competition to go through 774 local governments in the 36 state and come out with bright individuals.

Kachikwu encouraged the students to congratulate themselves saying it’s a call to action.

He charged the students on national unity.

“When I was young one of the things that we enjoy was competition for layers, representing Nigeria and University of Nsuka, at this time it wasn’t about the money it was the glory of the institution.

"Apart from getting money for your education, it also brings you to a limelight that opens doors and corridors,"Kachikwu added.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara commended the corporation for making the educational competition as key to its corporate social responsibility this are leaders of tomorrow seating down here.

Doara who was represented by Honourable Joseph Akinlaja, chairman House of Representative Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) congratulated the corporation for the continuity of the competition that has produced first class engineers.

He charged the student to become a good ambassador of their various institutions and Nigeria at large.

Benjamin Chisom Chinueze (Abia) and Akinbulugbe Oluwatobiloba (Ondo) emerged second and third respectively.