In a bid to promote academic excellence and foster a culture of healthy competition among students, the Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA on Wednesday, 4th of December, hosted the grand finale of its School Quiz and Debate Competition, honoring outstanding students and celebrating their achievements in a fun-filled and intellectually stimulating event.

The competition, which was divided into three categories – primary, junior, and secondary – saw students from various schools in the LCDA compete for top honors.

In the secondary school category, Ransom Kuti emerged as the winner, while Ilepeju Senior School came in second.

In the primary category, Bereola Memorial Primary School took the top spot, with Ajenifuja Primary School coming in second.

The junior category saw Bripel School emerge as the winner, while Ilepeju Junior Secondary School came in second.

Hon. Rasaq Ajala, Executive Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing quality education to pupils and students in the Local Government. According to him, the drive is to prepare pupils and students to be globally competitive.

He emphasized that he benefited from functional, qualitative, and free education during his time, which has enabled him to stand tall and compete with anyone from any part of the world. Hon. Rasaq Ajala noted that this experience has motivated him to provide similar opportunities to students in the LCDA.

The Chairman stated that the leaders of the first and second republic failed to provide western education to residents, leading to security challenges in the country. Hon. Rasaq Ajala stressed that his administration is committed to creating an environment where children from all economic backgrounds can access western education.

To achieve this goal, Hon. Rasaq Ajala has established two major ICT workstations, strategically located in the heart of the local government. He explained that these facilities are well-furnished and equipped with modern tools to aid students’ knowledge of information communication technology.

Hon. Rasaq Ajala also highlighted his administration’s investment in infrastructure development in primary schools, providing classrooms, fences, chairs, and desks. Hon. Rasaq Ajala proudly stated that no primary school in the LCDA lacks chairs and desks, a significant improvement from the past.

He also spoke about the LCDA’s GCE program, which prioritizes merit, with 80% of beneficiaries selected based on their academic performance, regardless of their connections to government officials. Hon. Rasaq Ajala explained that this approach reflects his administration’s philosophy of “common goal for common benefit.”

According to Hon. Quadri Faiz, Supervisor for Education of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, the competition is a platform to test the ability of the children and encourage them to strive for excellence. He noted that the competition has been held for the past three years, and it has been observed that schools that did not perform well in previous years have come back stronger and more determined.

Hon. Quadri Faiz cited the example of a school that won the competition last year but came second this year. He attributed this to the school’s ability to go back, reflect on their mistakes, and come back stronger. Hon. Quadri Faiz expressed optimism that next year’s competition will produce another winner.

Hon. Quadri Faiz emphasized that the competition is not only a platform to challenge the students but also to encourage them to strive for excellence.

According to Esan Oluwasegun, Team Lead for SG Creatives, the competition was made possible through the support of Hon. Rasak Ajala, Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, he praised the Chairman for his vision and commitment to promoting education in the local government area.

He highlighted the uniqueness of the quiz competition, which was designed to be different from the usual quiz competitions. He attributed the success of the event to the creativity and hard work of his team at SG Creatives.

Esan revealed that the team worked tirelessly for 48 hours to prepare for the finals, vetting questions and answers, and preparing over 1000 slides for the schools. He expressed his gratitude to the network team for their excellent work, which ensured a glitch-free event.

As an education expert with over a decade of experience, Esan Oluwasegun emphasized the importance of discovering and nurturing young talents. He praised the participants for their outstanding performance, noting that they have demonstrated the potential to compete at global levels.