Behold Africa’s Maths champion!

IN a development that enthralled millions of people across the African continent and around the world, a young Nigerian recently emerged champion in a mathematics competition. Fifteen-year-old Master Victor Adetunji, a Senior Secondary School 2 (SS2) student of the International School, Ibadan, Oyo State, beat 10,000 other candidates on the continent to come out tops at the just concluded Cruxlearning mathematics competition.  Adetunji won $5000 worth of university scholarship.

The procedure for shortlisting the finalists included online registration of the initial 10,000 candidates who registered for the competition and a weeding out test before the 18 finalists were made to contest for the laurel for four weeks atthe Mathslounge. Adetunji twice narrowly escaped eviction before eventually winning the contest after thrilling encounters. At the end of the episode, he beat Alpha Femi Ositade of Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State, and Curve Joyce Onubogu of British Spring College, Awka, Anambra State, to the second and third positions respectively. It was an all-Nigerian affair.

Truth be told, the results run contrary to the expectations of many considering the ugly developments in recent times when secondary schools in the country have been dogged by unending problems, including cultism, indiscipline, poor teacher morale and an appalling lack of basic facilities. If the results demonstrate anything, it is the fact that there is still something to cheer about in the country’s secondary schools, the vast odds ranged against education in the country notwithstanding. As a matter of fact, the initiator of the competition, Oladapo Ojo, was delighted that his mathematics demystification project had been reinforced. It is common knowledge that mathematics is needlessly dreaded by students in the country’s secondary schools, in large part because it is generally not well taught and broken down to bits in such a way that its core principles would be easily grasped. This has to change.

Among other advantages, the study of Mathematics enhances logical reasoning and clarity of analysis at the personal level. At the social level, it promotes innovation and development. In any case, a mathematically literate population is an asset to any state. In particular, Mathematics competitions promote healthy curiosity, fast thinking, logical awareness and mental alertness. It is thus appropriate that programmes geared towards promoting it are encouraged at all levels of the school system. There is nothing that can be lost through the promotion of mathematics and mathematical principles. On the contrary, there is much to be gained.

It is regrettable that the value of the winning prize, which is meant for university education, is not a realistic assessment of the cost of university education. However, it is at least a starting point for the future. Youthful talents like Victor Adetunji,  Femi Ositade, and Joyce Onubogu have to be nurtured, harnessed, and encouraged by the Nigerian state for the benefit of the country. We urge the Federal Government and their respective state governments to take active interest in their education by offering them scholarship packages. Doing so is a powerful way of steering the country’s youth in the right direction. It is a way of showing that they are, in the main, forward-looking and hard-working; that they are not, and should not be, all about Yahoo Yahoo business, drug abuse and prostitution, among other vices.

The Cruxlearning Math Competition is a starting point for future generations of young people. It should be supported. Unfortunately, tertiary education in Nigeria is held captive by the menace of the ASUU strikes. In this regard, the Federal Government should ensure that the issues in contention are resolved permanently so that young talents entering into the university system do not end up being discouraged and depressed by enforced holidays via industrial actions.

We celebrate Master Victor Adetunji and other winners and wish them great success in their future endeavours.