Winners Emerge in 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist World Contest

Funmi Ogundare

ReadManna Empowerment Initiative (REI), the organiser of the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship for Students (MOSWC), has unveiled the winners of the 2023 MOS Nigeria competition to represent Nigeria at the 2023 World Championship in Disneyworld, Orlando, Florida, USA, between July 30 and August 2, 2023.

The championship, sponsored annually in Nigeria by Zenith Bank PLC, Agusto Consulting Limited and Airtel Plc, challenges students to demonstrate their proficiency using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. 

The students are Fenna Nwokeji Aduvie from International School, Abuja, FCT, who sat for Excel 2019 and had a score of 1,000/1,000 in eight minutes, three seconds, Victor Omoyajowo from Faith Academy, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, sat for Word 2019 and had a score 976/1,000 in 21minutes 22 Seconds, Adesuwa Igbinedion, of Faith Academy, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State sat PowerPoint 2019, got a score of 1,000/1,000 in 33 minutes, 50 seconds.

Daniel Uzugbo of Faith Academy, Canaanland, Ota in Ogun, sat Excel 2016 and scored 980/1,000 within 22 minutes, 28 seconds. Aderinsola Adeegbe of Faith Academy, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, sat Word 2016 with a score of 1,000/1,000 in 12 minutes 55 seconds, and Bolurinwa Fabuyi of City of Knowledge Academy, IjebuOde, Ogun, sat PowerPoint 2016 with a score of 925/1,000 in 19 minutes 41 seconds.

The students will be accompanied by their ICT teachers; Mr. Olusola Ajayi of Aduvie International School, Abuja, FCT, whose student had the highest score in the 2023 MOS Nigeria competition; as well as Mrs. Victoria Adebayo of Faith Academy, Ota, Ogun: the school with the largest number of certified students in the junior ICT competition 2023 ReadManna under 13 Computing Fundamentals national competition (Ages 8 -13).

The founder of Readmanna Empowerment Initiative, Mrs. Edna Agusto, stated that the 2023 MOS Nigeria competition conducted by her organisation in Nigeria was held between October 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. 

The organisers received entries from secondary schools in Lagos, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, and the FCT, including the University of Lagos and Caleb University, Lagos. 

She noted that 217 students were eventually shortlisted at the national competition held in Uyo, Ota, Ijebu-Ode, Abuja and Lagos. 

Agusto said the Microsoft Office Specialist programmes are the most commonly used productivity tools by businesses worldwide, and the official MOS certification programme assesses and demonstrates proficiency in these programmes.

She added that Certified MOS users will become proficient in using Microsoft Office programs, thereby improving their chances of becoming gainfully employed in today’s digital world.

According to the founder, her organisation, a not-for-profit, drives current, 

practical and relevant digital literacy skills aligned to global standards among students, youths and teachers in Nigeria through competitions and conferences. 

“ReadManna is authorised by Certiport Inc, a Pearson VUE company, the initiator of Certiport Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship for Students, to conduct the international annual championship in Nigeria.

“The MOSWC is keenly competed annually by students in over 150 countries. During the past 14 years, Nigeria has come second and third in the world championship and has had top 10 finishes nearly every year,” she explained.