From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The 2023 “Let It Shine” literacy competition organised by Chandelle Olympiad Academy had 1,017 participants drawn from 102 schools within and outside Nigeria.
The annual competition is part of the academy’s initiative targeted at nurturing young minds and promoting a culture of learning.
The Chandelle Group President (NIGERIA), Kosiso Edwards, at the event, said candidates were selected after undergoing a preliminary mock examination to determine the best from the massive number that applied.
“A lot of students have potential but the nation’s dwindling academic system scarcely provides an opportunity for them to demonstrate the potential.
“Chandelle Academy has come to bridge that gap and provide students with the platform to showcase their abilities, as well as instil pride and ownership of themselves. A child that’s not good at mathematics can do well in English or Poetry.
“We believe academic excellence deserves the same recognition and celebration as athletic prowess. This initiative is a testament to the academy’s commitment to nurturing young minds and promoting a culture of learning.
“Last year we started with 372 candidates from about 50 schools, and States like Niger and Cross River didn’t participate. But this year, we have over 1,000 students from Calabar, Kaduna, Lagos, and Minna, among other cities in Nigeria and the diaspora.
“For this competition, we have candidates from Anambra, Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Niger, Ghana, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Calabar and the U.S.A who made it after the preliminary test process, thereby reducing the number of registrants to 383 candidates from 92 schools.
“For Anambra alone, which took place at Grundtvig International School, Oba, Anambra State, 25 schools with 250 students sat for the competition. The participants filled in their details after logging into the link on our website.
“Best 6 were selected to represent each of the schools after writing the mock exam. For schools that run both primary and secondary, we selected 10 from each school.
“The exam is conducted digitally (Computer Based Test) and the results will be accessed in a week’s time while the price is N1 million for 1st, 2nd and 3rd winners. We also have consolation prizes for 4th to 10th positions and they all will be rewarded at the award ceremony coming up in Port Harcourt.
A participant at the event, Joshua Okafor expressed confidence in coming out tops in the competition in view of his antecedents in previous contests and level of preparations for the current competition.
The external competitions and programme coordinator, Ndange Rudolf noted that it was a privilege for Chandelle to have an opportunity in a conducive environment provided by Grundtvig International, including internet facilities, which enabled the literacy competition to take place without any hitch.