From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Gombe State Government Girls Mega College (GGMC) Doma has emerged as the winner of the inter-school quiz competition that was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Education and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) Project.
The competition which was in commemoration of the 2023 World Children’s Day, focuses on climate education and was aimed at developing the children’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards sustainable climate actions in the state.
Among the three schools that participated in the quiz, GGMC Doma emerged as the overall winner by answering the highest number of questions correctly. Other schools were Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gandu which came second and Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gombe which came third.
Speaking during the event, the Officer In Charge (OIC) of the UNICEF’s Bauchi field office, Mr. Clement Adams disclosed that the event was organized as a part of efforts to safeguard the environment for future generations. He revealed that the quiz is a platform for the children to have fun and showcase their excellence in critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills.
Meanwhile, the Gombe state commissioner of education, Prof. Aishatu Maigari, commended UNICEF for partnering with the state government in implementing projects and programs that are aimed at ensuring a better future for children in the state. She assured Gombe is open to more partnerships. The commissioner explained that the state government has in the past few years invested in various areas of the state’s economy, especially the education sector, which she said has led to significant improvement in the performance of the students’ national examination.
She said, “UNICEF has a good partner for us and we assure you that Gombe is open to more partnerships in whatever area you can think of, we have things going on in Gombe and I believe that is why you choose to flag off this event today in Gombe,” the commissioner stated while urging students selected for the quiz competition to participate freely.
Each of the three secondary schools that participated in the competition was represented by a team of three students. Shortly after the quiz and the emergence of GGMC Doma as the winner, the students expressed their joy and gratitude for winning the competition, citing the importance of education for their personal and societal development. They also acknowledged the role of their teachers, parents, and peers in supporting their academic and moral growth.
UNICEF’s activities to commemorate the 2023 World Children’s Day also feature a tree planting campaign among children with the planting of several trees in Government Science Secondary School Gombe.
On his part, the Gombe ACReSAL Project Coordinator (PC) Mr. Sani Adamu Jauro commended UNICEF for the collaboration, stating the project had been engaging children across schools in the state and that the plan was to catch them young and instill the habits of tree planting among the students and other children in the state.