FROM CLARICE AZUATALAM, PORT HARCOURT
After taking a wide look at the pace of development across the globe, Rivers State Government has declared that Nigeria cannot catch up if it does not invest in science and technology.
The Commissioner for Education in the state, Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom who made this declaration on behalf of the state government said: that “the world is moving ahead, we can’t afford to lag behind” and this is why it is imperative for Nigeria to buy into the global trend of science and educational training and development.
Mmom who spoke in Port Harcourt during the Grand Finale of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) 2022 Rivers State Science Quiz Competition for Junior and Senior Secondary School Students stated that the way we can grow is by keying into science and technology and commended NLNG for sponsoring quiz competition in that field.
The Education Commissioner also charged other corporate organizations to key into the project of investing in science education with the aim of building and developing the nation’s indigenous technology adding that ” it is high time we develop ours instead of depending on western technology.”
Mmom who added that it is an honour for the state government to be part of the quiz competition further stressed that the exercise is an appreciation for science and technology which supports development and life globally.
While commending the students who took part in the quiz competition, he also advised them to keep up with the competitive spirit.
In his welcome address, Andy Odeh, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development of NLNG said that the goal of the competition is to inspire healthy competition among the youth and to spur interest in science and technology as a way of equipping young minds for nation-building.
Odeh also said that the company’s interest in education and its corporate social responsibility thrust toward youth development in Nigeria is inspired by its vision of being “a globally competitive LNG Company, helping to build a better Nigeria.”
“We all have dreams, dreams of a better tomorrow. We dream of a sustainable future, wherein our inputs into today would materialise as gains for tomorrow. We dream that our children will grow to take their places in civilisation and prosper with a standard of life that assures their progeny of a bright future. But dreams are one thing; taking credible steps in determining our dreams’ realistic outcomes is another. NLNG’s business was once a dream nurtured by sheer grit to become the globally competitive company it is today”, Odeh stated.
Continuing, the NLNG manager said: “NLNG is consistently looking towards the future and is harnessing prospects towards that sustainable outlook. Hence, the thrust of NLNG’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework focuses on developing health, education, empowerment, and infrastructure for the benefit of the general society, particularly its host communities.”
He urged the participating schools and students to use the NLNG Science Quiz Competition as a platform for future self-development, adding that the company will continue to invest in the educational value chain to support the aspirations of young Nigerians.
However at the end of the quiz competition, Bonny National Grammar School came first in the Senior Secondary Schools out of seven finalists in the grand finale with Igwe Nazareth the over-all winner from the school saying that, he played less and read more to pass in the competition..
Enitonna High School, Port Harcourt and Niger Delta Science School took the second and third positions, respectively.
Other schools that participated in the finals are Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Obio-Apkor which took 4th position; Government Secondary School, Eneka took 5th position; Community Secondary School, Kiran took 6th position while the 7th position went to Okrika National Secondary School, Okrika.
The competition was facilitated by Dragnet Solutions Limited.
