NLNG to Promote Science Literacy Via Quiz Competition 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), Limited said it is improving science literacy in the country through its annual science quiz competition.

General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Mr. Andy Odey, who stated this at the grand finale of the 2023 NLNG Science Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools in Rivers, said science has become so perverse that there was hardly anyone that does not interact with it daily.

He said NLNG aims to demystify science and make it easy for everybody through the competition and its partnership with the Rivers State Government and other stakeholders.

“Science is so perverse such that there is hardly anyone in the four corners of Rivers State who has not relied on science to achieve one elementary task or the other as everyone interacts with it daily,” he stated. 

Odey added, “Most importantly, how it applies to our daily lives. In a nutshell, every day, we seek to demystify science to make it relevant and to make it as simple. To achieve these, the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, NLNG, entered into a partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Education in 2021, the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, STAN, to refocus and strengthen the old science quiz competition which the company sponsored until 2014, relaunch the science quiz competition with the pilot edition conducted only for Bonny based secondary schools in 2021.”

Odey also mentioned that the competition gave students the opportunity to showcase their skills and urged the participants on climate change and the need to protect the environment.

“Please let us remember that the future of our planet depends on our actions today. Let us work together to create an equitable and prosperous world for us to live in, and of course, through science, it is achievable,” he stated.

The Director of Science and Technical Education of Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Ataisi Ngerebara, while commending NLNG, said the competition benefited the state.

She said the competition gave opportunities to many students to showcase themselves.

President of STAN in Rivers, Dr. Peter Nwankwo, commended the state’s education ministry for playing a leadership role in science education. 

He also commended teachers for their zeal to improve the students’ results in the state. He suggested that champions from the competition should represent the state in national and global competitions while recommending that a science and project exhibition fair should be included in future competitions.

Niger Delta Science School defeated seven other competing schools to emerge champions of this year’s quiz competition.

While expressing his excitement for winning the competition, a student from the school that emerged as champion, Victor Udochukwu, thanked the company for giving them a chance to test their science skills.