81 Candidates Qualify for Next Round of SPAK TV Show

81 students, out of the over 6,000 who sat for the first round qualifying examinations of the SPAK National Science Competition TV Show have been shortlisted to proceed to the next round. The SPAK National Science Competition is a TV show aimed at igniting interest in, and promoting, the study of science in secondary schools in Nigeria. It specifically targets students aged 14 to 17, who are currently in the second year of the Senior Secondary School (SS2). Entries were received from over 2,000 schools from across 19 states of the country, and the students, who sat for a written examination on April 1, 2017, were tested in four subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Master Idowu Toluwanimi, of Kings International College, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, scored 93 per cent out of a possible 100 per cent to emerge as the best overall student.. He was closely followed by Miss Adeshola Fadahunsi of St. Michaels Alabstar College, Lagos, Master Oluyede Qoyuum of Sobru Private Schools, Lagos, and Master Akinwande Fashola of St. Catherine’s College, Aleshinloye, Oyo, who scored 92 per cent each.

In all, Ogun, Oyo and Ondo States led the pack of states which recorded the highest number of successful candidates, with 21, 10 and 10 students respectively.
The 81 successful students will now proceed to the recording phase of the competition which is scheduled to commence in August. The TV show itself is expected to be transmitted during the last quarter of this year.

Mr. Oladapo Ojo, the creator of the show, expressed delight at the successful conduct of the qualifying examinations, and the performance of the candidates.

He said: “the performance of these students have shown me very clearly that, contrary to what a lot of people may think, the standard of science education in our secondary schools is not that bad. The examination was very competitive, so much so that we had to adopt a cut-off mark as high as 73 per cent, to be able to select the successful candidates who qualified for the next round. With the performance of the students that I saw in this examination, which, by the way, was conducted by NECO, who are our technical partners on this project, I can boldly say that there is still hope for Science Education in Nigeria.”

SPAK National Science Competition is a science-based TV quiz show with elements of entertainment to broaden its viewership appeal. It is a unique learning programme which already enjoys the endorsement and support of public and private schools across Nigeria