RMDC : Deril Academy Ibadan won again

By Punarimam Fehintola

The Defending Champion, Deril Academy, Ibadan on Friday emerged the winner of the 2019 edition of the Annual Raw Materials Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools in Nigeria.

The annual competition which is part of the  Catch-Them-Young Programme of the Raw Materials  Research and Development Council(RMRDC), was keenly contested by both private and government secondary schools from all states in Nigeria.

 Aimed at creating awareness on the importance of raw materials and the role of RMRDC as a government agency mandated to publicize available raw materials in Nigeria as well as researches conducted, the competition kicked-off in Thursday at the council in Maitama, Abuja.

While Deril Academy which won the 3rd  edition of the competition held last year, maintained the first place, Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, Cross River State and Government College, Toro, Bauchi State took second and third positions.

The winning school, Deril Academy went home with cash prizes of N1,000,000, Federal Government College Calabar  which emerged second, was given a cash prize of N500,000, while Government College Toro, went home with N30,000.

In his remark at the end of the competition, the Director-General(DG), RMRDC, Professor Hussaini Doko Ibrahim thanked the organising committee, the teachers and delegates who participated in the programme for sucessful hosting of the competition.

The DG who was represented by the Deputy Director,Public Affairs Units of the RMRDC,  Mr. Chuks Ngaha, thanked the delegates for bringing out their best efforts to compete and win the medal.

He said the delegates have left behind a legacy that “we will build upon.”

Professor Ibrahim urged the other delegates not to give up but put in more efforts for better performance in the next edition, come 2020.

Fielding questions from journalists after the competition, the Chairman of the coordinating Committee for the quiz competition, Mr. James Baba said the competition aims to among others, build team spirit among the participants and sportsmanship.

“It is about getting them getting the knowledge we are impacting.We want them to buy into what we are doing,” he said.

Baba added that  the  target is to develop in the younger generation, the spirit of ebtreprenuership to enable them contribute meaningfully to economic development of Nigeria  in the  nearest future.

 Speaking i with newsmen shortly after the competition, one of the delegates of the winning school, said he was delighted at their victory.

Sixteen  year old Muyibi Yusuf, who took part in the contest said although the quiz competition was tough, “Iam glad that we won the prize.”

The SSS 3 student who thanked the organizers for the initiative, said the knowledge acquire will help him in his academic pursuits toward achieving his dream of becoming a medical doctor.

The highpoints of  the competition  which also aims at arousing the interest of young people on the development and utilization of the nation’s local raw materials thereby fostering innovation, as well as assess the knowledge level of the Nigerian secondary school students on local raw materials is presentation of trophies to the winners.

Other delegates and their teachers were handed certificates and gifts in appreciate of their participation.