PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge has proven to be one sure way of becoming a millionaire for any diligent secondary school science student in Nigeria.
One of Nigeria’s most recent millionaires is Aderibigbe Eniola Peace from Babcock University High School who emerged winner of the 2019 PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge that was held on July 30, 2019, showing how commitment and hard work lead to wealth.
Adele Chika of Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Port Harcourt, and Ojuba Mezisashe Shalom of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja came second and third respectively.
Over 7, 500 students competed in the first stage of the competition in an online Computer Based Test (CBT) quiz across Nigeria. Top 600 candidates qualified for a controlled CBT – 200 from each region; Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos. Thirteen candidates qualified from each region to sit for a practical exam during the third phase of the competition.
The top six finalists from across Nigeria that took part in the finals were: Ojuba Mezisashe Shalom, Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja; Andrew Ulan Sylvia, Premiere Academy, Abuja; Ugboma David Rex, Makun High School, Sagamu; Aderibigbe Eniola Peace, Babcock University High School; Adele Chika, Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Port Harcourt; and Ndidi Christabel Chukwufumnanya, Demonstration Staff Secondary School, Asaba.
Top three winners received a trophy, a medal and N1, 000,000, N750, 000, and N500, 000 respectively. Additional prizes were laboratory equipment for the winners’ schools. The 4th, 5th and 6th place finalists went home with consolation prizes.
The competition was sponsored by Premier a brand within the PZ Cussons family of products and for better inclusion a regional approach was adopted for the first time making the competition a National competition with three examination hubs in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.
Apart from this being the first time the competition went National; it was also the first time three females qualified for the finals. And for the first time a female, Ojuba Mezisashe Shalom, of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja; scored the highest during the practical stage.
An Advisory Board led by Oladele Osibanjo, professor of Chemistry, University of Ibadan was in charge of collating questions and managing proceedings during the exams to ensure the utmost quality.
Osibanjo, in his remark about the competition, said, “the PZ Cussons Chemistry competition is designed to promote the study of chemistry among students while demonstrating the relevance of chemistry in our society through an open competition between public and private secondary school students.”
The PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge is endorsed by the Lagos State Ministry of Education; Chemistry Society of Nigeria (CSN); Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) and the National Parents and Teachers Association (NAPTAN).
Since inception in 2013, the competition has grown as more than thirteen thousand (13000) students registered for the 2019 edition.
“The overall objective is to continue to make PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge the No. 1 platform for the support of Chemistry learning in Secondary Schools across Nigeria” Charles Nnochiri, head of Marketing, PZ Cussons Consumer, PZ Cussons Nigeria says.
PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge is Nigeria’s pure science competition. It is an initiative of the PZ Cussons Foundation. The competition is supported by one of its brands which the Premier toilet soap.
