Community school wins third consecutive Tolaram Science challenge

Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Ibeju-Lekki, has won the 10th edition of the Tolaram Science Challenge (TSC), marking its third consecutive victory in the annual competition. The school defeated Magbon-Alade Senior Grammar School in a keenly contested grand finale.

​Sponsored by the Lagos Free Zone (LFZ), the TSC is a flagship science competition for secondary schools in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos.

The initiative provides a platform for bright young minds to showcase innovative STEM-based solutions to real-world challenges.

​The anniversary edition featured 16 secondary schools, with each represented by six students. Participants were tested across five core areas: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and General Knowledge.

​At the conclusion of the contest, Ibeju Senior High School, Lekki, and Community Senior High School, Lekki, finished third and fourth, respectively. In the individual categories, Nyong Jebson, Adekunle Ephraim, and Ashikodi Chukwu secured the first, second, and third positions, respectively, earning cash prizes for their outstanding performances. Additionally, 32 top-performing students were awarded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scholarships.

​Speaking at the grand finale, the Director of Zone Development, Binay Saraf—who represented the Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja—described the decade-old competition as a remarkable milestone that has grown from a modest initiative into a premier Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

​Ladoja urged the students to view the competition not just as a quest for trophies, but as an opportunity to build confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

​Also speaking, the Director and Chief Sustainability Officer of Lagos Free Zone, Vishal Shah, restated the Zone’s long-term commitment to improving educational standards in Ibeju-Lekki. He noted that the initiative has fostered a culture of academic excellence and significantly improved students’ performance in external qualifying examinations over the past 10 years.

​Reflecting on the journey, the Visioner of the Tolaram Science Challenge, Olakunle Fadumiye, recalled the motivation behind establishing the competition in 2016.

​Fadumiye commended the leadership of Tolaram and LFZ for building a foundation for economic and national development. He also urged LFZ to offer TSC alumni priority consideration for industrial training, internships, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) placements within the Zone to equip them with vital workplace experience.

​On her part, the Deputy Director of the Schools Support Unit, Education District 3, Ikoyi, Mrs. Olubunmi Ajibola-Morebise, commended the organizers for sustaining the vision. She noted that the competition has successfully enhanced the reading culture among pupils and spurred healthy competition among teachers in the zone.

​Celebrating the victory, the team captain of Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Fawaz Alayo, credited the school’s historic hat-trick to the dedication of their teachers and the unwavering support of the school management.