The Marketing Manager of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji has disclosed that the connection between Cowbell brand and Mathematics competition has deepened over the years that the participating students, their parents and other stakeholders connected with the initiative have become the company’s brand ambassadors.
From left: Mr Mario Russo, Head of Commercial, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Akinfoluhan Akinleye, junior category winner, 2018 Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show; Mr Anders Einarsson, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Chinedu Mgbemena, senior category winner of the competition; and Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji, Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria Limited at the finals of the competition in Lagos last weekend.
Ayodeji, who spoke with journalists at the finals of this year’s Cowbellpedia Mathematics Secondary Schools TV Quiz show in Lagos, explained that Promasidor started the project 20 years ago to engage “our consumers in a structured way and also, give back to the society that we operate in.”
He added that the Cowbellpedia initiative was launched on education, which is a very important legacy where every parent wants his children or ward to succeed. “For us, the motivation has been that by doing this, we are touching an important area in our consumers’ lives and the reaction from consumers in terms of brand acceptance has been positive,” he said.
Ayodeji maintained that Cowbellpedia has become an effective platform that has entrenched Cowbell brand in the minds of consumers from generation to generation.
Meanwhile, as this years’ Cowbellpedia Mathematics competition came to a glorious end last weekend in Lagos, Akinfoluhan Akinleye from The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State and Chinedu Mgbemena, a student of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State emerged the champions in the junior and senior categories respectively.
Akinfoluhan left Splendour Nwankwo of Jesuit Memorial College and Favour Okarike of Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, respectively settling for the first and second runner-up places.
Other junior category finalists who exited in the first round on the final day were Chidozie Uzochukwu of Nigerian Tulip International School, Abuja; Gabriel Akogun from Welkin International and Loluwa Abiodun of The Ambassadors College, both in Ota, Ogun State.
Akinfoluhan dedicated his victory to his father and his Mathematics teacher, Kayode Adebayo, saying he felt very happy to wear the crown, especially being his first time of participating in the competition. “My father will be so happy,” he said.
Chinedu, on his own part, beat his five other colleagues to becomes the 2018 senior champion.
Praise Isinkaye, a student of Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State who participated in the competition for the second time, was the first runner up, while the second runner-up position went to Juliet Ekoko, the 2016 junior category champion from The Ambassador College, Ota Ogun State.
Other contestants who could not go beyond the first round of the final were Jessica Austine from Federal Government College, Owerri, Imo State; Enoch Adenekan of The Ambassadors College, Ota; and Nafisat Abdulwaheed from Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State.
Chinedu, also a second timer in the competition, expressed gratitude to God and his Mathematics teacher, Mr. Christopher Olasupo for guiding him through.
In fulfilment of Promasidor’s pledge to double the prize money in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Cowbell and Mathematics in Nigeria, the champions in both categories received N2 million each plus an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country; while the first and second runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.
The teachers of the champions were also rewarded with N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson congratulated the finalists for their excellent performance and reiterated the commitment of the company towards education and the future of Nigerian children.
While affirming that in the past 20 years, Cowbell has provided a platform to identify and reward excellence in Mathematics, he recalled that from its beginning in 1998, Cowbellpedia has expanded in size, scope and prizes as it now holds in over 200 centres across the nation and in over 11,000 schools.
Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for next year’s edition of the competition. According to the organisers, the 2019 Cowbellpedia registration portal is now open for secondary school students across the country to register.