President of the G30 Ibani Voice, Dr Fubara Dan-Jumbo has described the trending academic contest in Rivers State, Nigeria, the King & Queen of Mathematics Contest, as a tool for upscaling the quality of Education and deepening interest in Mathematics among secondary school students.  

Dr Dan-Jumbo came out with this during a sensitization tour of secondary schools in Bonny LGA to announce the kick-off of the 2022 edition of the King & Queen of Mathematics Contest on Thursday, July 14, 2022.

Represented by the Secretary General of the group, Mr. Godswill Hart, the G30 Ibani Voice President stated that available statistics indicate a declining interest in Mathematics among school kids in Nigeria and his organization was poised to reinvigorate interest therein, informing that this informed the decision to raise the prize money to N1million in the 2021 edition.

The King & Queen of Mathematics Contest is an annual competition organized by the G30 Ibani Voice, a non-governmental organization, with sponsorship from DavFub Nigeria Limited and the Bonny Constituency Office in the Rivers State House of Assembly, among others.

The winner becomes the King of Mathematics for one year and wins the star prize of N1,000,000, while the first and second runners-up win N500,000 and N250,000, respectively. The winners also secure scholarships up to first degree in the university, and a copy of ‘Make Yourself A Mathematician’, among other goodies.

Master Nelson Bluejack, a senior secondary 2 student of Lucille Education Centre (LEC) won the 2021 edition of the contest. He is the reigning King of Mathematics and will hold the title until a new winner emerges by December 2022.

Valerie Edun and Oluwadare Oluwasegun emerged first and second runner-up in the senior category, while Dappa Prinye of Faith Academy, and Boma Iyalla of LEC, emerged first and second runners-up in the junior category.   

A random quiz conducted during the sensitization campaign saw some students win instant prizes. The winners include Faith Academy, Deborah Wilcox, SS2, Daniel Eromobor, SS1, Joseph Benstowe, JSS2, and Raymond Monday, JSS1; and Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS), Igwe Nazareth, SS2, Augustine Godspower, SS2, Temple Wisdom, SS2, Fred David Irimagha, JSS1, and Stephen Allaputa, JSS2.

Others include Lucille Education Centre, Wilcox Jewel, SS1, Elvis Wali Raymond, SS2, Sofiri Victor Pepple, JSS2, and Elizabeth Hart, JSS2; Community Secondary School (CSS), Bonny, Sampson Matthew, SS2, Tamunosa John-Jumbo, SS2, Godswill Alphaeus Banigo, SS1, Grace Jonah, JSS2, and Godgift Allison, JSS2; Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Finima, Bonny, Tonison Gift, SS1, Okon Precious, SS2, Precious Anietie, JSS1, and Vera Victor, JSS1.

The G30 Ibani Voice, a socio-political pressure group led by Dr Fubara Dan-Jumbo, is focused on human capital development. It has over the years organized charity programmes wherein different vulnerable groups in the society has benefitted including the elderly, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), and children from challenged backgrounds.

Dr Dan-Jumbo, who is also the Group Managing Director/CEO of Davfub Nigeria Limited, stressed the need to revive academic competitions among students aimed at helping them discover their best potentials, noting that “Education stands out as the only reliable vehicle to attaining excellence in their field of studies”.

The former Coventry University lecturer recommended the book “Make Yourself A Mathematician” as a tool for building bridges in Mathematics, pointing out that it was designed to self-tutor those with weak background in Mathematics, positing that Education remains a vehicle for youths to realize their aspirations, adding that the competition will continue to soar in prize value and deepening of its intellectual credentials.