In what could be described as a decade of excellence in contribution to the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Nigeria, the grand finale of the 10th edition of Tolaram Science Challenge (TSC) was held last week in Lagos, with Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Ibeju-Lekki emerging as the winner, marking the third consecutive win for the school. The school triumphed over Magbon-Alade Senior Grammar School in a fiercely contested grand finale of the competition.
The Tolaram Science Challenge, sponsored by Lagos Free Zone, is an annual science competition for schools in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos and has become a flagship contest that brings together bright young minds from secondary schools across the area. The competition enables them to showcase innovative ideas and practical solutions to real-world challenges through STEM education.
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The competition features 16 participating secondary schools, each represented by six students. The students were tested in five core subject areas: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and General Knowledge. At the end of the keenly contested competition, Ibeju Senior High School, Lekki and Community Senior High School, Lekki came third and fourth, respectively. Apart from that, three students with outstanding performances- Nyong Jebson, Adekunle Ephraim and Ashikodi Chukwu also secured first, second and third positions, respectively. Each of them was rewarded with a cash prize.
Speaking at the grand finale, Director, Zone Development, BinaySaraf, who represented Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja, described the decade-old competition as a remarkable milestone which started as a modest initiative and has grown into one of the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programs of Lagos Free Zone.
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“Over the past decade, we have seen this event grow in scale, participation, and impact. Each year, more schools, more students and more teachers have joined us on this journey of discovery and learning. Today, the Tolaram Science Challenge has become a platform that encourages curiosity, innovation, critical thinking and healthy competition. More importantly, it has become a symbol of our commitment to investing in the future of our communities,” Ladojasaid.
She noted that the company’s commitment to the competition to date reflects its belief that today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and leaders.
“At Lagos Free Zone and Tolaram, we believe that developing communities goes beyond building infrastructure or creating jobs. It also means creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow and discover their potential,” she said.
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She charged students to see competitions not as a matter of winning a trophy, but as opportunities to develop confidence, learn to solve problems, work as a team, and discover what they are capable of achieving. “Whether you receive a prize today or not, the knowledge you gain, the friendships you build, and the experience you take away will remain with you for life,” she added.
Also speaking, Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Lagos Free Zone, Vishal Shah, noted that the Zone remains committed to improving the quality of education in the Ibeju-Lekki axis through the initiative.
Shah stressed that over the past 10 years, the initiative has fostered healthy competition among pupils and improved performance in various qualifying examinations.
In his remarks, the Visioner of the Tolaram Science Challenge, Olakunle Fadumiye, said the intent behind the competition was to ensure participants return to their schools as ambassadors of excellence and possibility, regardless of whether they are in or not.
“When we started in 2016, many students had little motivation to pursue science subjects. Some preferred fishing and informal work instead of going to school because they saw few opportunities through education. University seemed unattainable to many. Yet we believed that if we could inspire even a few students to dream bigger, we could begin changing the future of an entire community,” Fadumiye said.
While commending the leadership team of Tolaram and LFZ for laying the foundations that have become symbols of economic transformation and national development, he urged LFZ to continually offer TSC alumni preference for industrial training opportunities, internships and NYSC placements within the Zone, noting that these opportunities will provide practical experience, professional exposure, and workplace skills that will prepare them for future success.
On her part, Mrs Olubunmi Ajibola-Morebise, Deputy Director, Schools Support Unit, Education District 3, Ikoyi, Lagos, commended the management of Lagos Free Zone and Tolaram for sustaining the vision that has kept the competition going to this day. Morebisestressed that there is no doubt that the competition had impacted pupils in Ibeju-Lekki by fostering a better reading culture and promoting keencompetition among teachers.
A total of 32 students were also awarded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scholarships for their outstanding performance in the competition.
Speaking shortly after receiving the trophy, the team captain of Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Fawaz Alayo, was full of excitement about the outstanding performance, describing it as a combination of teachers’ efforts and the immense support the school extended to the team.
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