Ogun school wins 2024 Winifred Awosika schools' challenge

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The Bells Comprehensive Secondary School, a privately owned educational institution in Ota, Ogun State, has emerged as the winner of this year’s edition of the Winifred Awosika Foundation Schools’ Challenge.

The school emerged as the winner with 30 points on Thursday at the grand finale of the quiz competition held at Chrisland Pre-Degree College, Lekki, Lagos, defeating seven other schools that made it to the final.

Interestingly, Crescent International School, Ota, also in Ogun State, finished second with 28 points, while Grace High School, Gbagada (27 points), Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki (25 points), Whitesands School, Lekki (23 points), Landmark College, Ikorodu, and Fountain Heights, Surulere, all in Lagos State, came in third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, respectively.

They were all rewarded with certificates and prizes with value based on their efforts, and the overall winner went home with the most valuable gifts.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Head in Charge of Academics, Christland Group of Schools, Mr Segun Ogunsola, went back in time to 1977, when High Chief Winifred Awosika, now 84 years old, established Chrisland School.

According to him, Chrisland School started in 1977 with just five pupils, among whom two were children of the founder and the rest were children of her friends.

“But today, the school has up to 16 primary and secondary schools, one university, and more are coming,” he added.

Ogunsola explained that the annual competition was initiated as a social arm of the schools, using the Foundation as a platform to promote healthy competition and excellence among secondary school students in the country.

He said the founder has a strong passion for quality education and general societal development.

He pointed out that the annual competition had yielded tremendous results, such that many schools are now looking forward to participation.

Delivering a keynote speech on the topic “Promoting Academic Excellence” at the event, Mr Bisi Sofela from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) urged the students to be focused and committed to their studies and other legitimate activities, saying that is the way to guarantee success now and in the future.

He said they would therefore need to know and believe that there is no shortcut but hard work to success in life.

He said whatever profession they would want to venture into after their studies and become successful in it, they would need to lay a solid foundation for it now that they are in school.

Expressing happiness for winning the top prize, the duo of Musa Zaid and Kunle Daudu, SS3 science students, who represented Bells Comprehensive Secondary School, attributed their success to hard work, teachers, and the grace of God.

Musa told the Nigerian Tribune that they actually prepared very well to win the competition.

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