WASSCE: Lagos, IT firm honour 6 outstanding students
By Millicent Ifeanyinchukwu
The Lagos State Government and Chronicles Software, an education technology company, have celebrated six outstanding students for their performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The students, of public secondary schools, were awarded cash gifts totalling two million naira.
The State’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Tolani Alli-Balogun, announced the cash gifts at the ministry, in Alausa, on Tuesday.
Alli-Balogun said the cash reward and recognition was to celebrate them and encourage academic excellence among students of public secondary schools in the state.
He said that to qualify for the cash gift, students must have written the WAEC examinations and scored A’s in at least seven core subjects while the selection process was transparent and based solely on merit.
“This cash award will recognise the top-performing students in the WAEC examinations based on their overall grades, including performance in core subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Science.
“We believe that academic excellence should be rewarded and celebrated, and we are committed in supporting students to achieve their academic goals.
“The Success BOX Excellence Award encourages students to strive for excellence in their studies and reach their full potential.
“The two million naira cash prize will be shared among the top six best-performing students in the WAEC examinations.
“The overall best student will go home with one million while the other five will go home with N200,000 each,” he added
The Commissioner urged the beneficiaries to focus their attention on Artificial Intelligence (AI), as it was the future.
He said that in Singapore, the government paid anybody above 40 years of age who could learn AI because they had seen that it would take them places.
Similarly, the CEO of Chronicles Software, Mr Oluwatosin Oluwakoyejo, said the cash award was the company’s commitment to drive and support education across all dimensions.
Oluwakoyejo said the company gave two million naira, but next year planned to increase the cash gift to five million.
According to him, this will enable more students to be brought in, and the awards spread outside the shores of Lagos state.
He said it would help in identifying arrowheads and achievers across the country.
“Today, we have brought together six best students across Lagos State public schools to celebrate them for their academic stride.
“The selection was based purely by merit and we gathered to put together what we called the Successbox Excellence Award which started in 2016.
“What the award has done over the years is to ensure that we spotlight academic achievement and we ensure that we provide them with cash gifts to appreciate them for the efforts they have done.
“This year, we commited two million naira to support WAEC students across public secondary schools and the goal is to ensure that students that have done well are rewarded.
“Not just a handshake,but something commensurate with their efforts as they go along.”
One of the awardees, Miss Jesutofunmi Akintunde,appreciated the state government and the IT firm for the cash gift.
Akintunde said to whom much is given much is expected.
She said that the state government had given them much, hence they were able to put in their best to appreciate them with their performance.
“We don’t have money to give them but we can give them the best of ourselves.This success is not only our success but it is dedicated to the entire system of the state.
“The state government gave the right and conducive learning environment and curriculum for us to achieve excellence in our academics,” she said.
She thanked the commissioner for education, the permanent secretary and the CEO of Chronicles Software for the cash gift and recognition. (NAN)
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle
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