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By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
SystemSpecs recently presented prizes to winners of its third Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) in a grand ceremony, even as it celebrated its third decade as a pioneering tech firm in Nigeria.
In the third edition of the annual competition, Nigerian children between nine and 16 years shared relevant technology-led ideas with the potential of transforming the nation’s education system.
From about 2,000 entrants from 795 schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 11-year-old Oluwaseun Samuel Temitayo-Ojo of Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, emerged winner in the junior category. Somedina Eden from Independence Layout Nursery and Primary School, Enugu, came second. Emmanuel Nkanu Nkanu from St. Anne’s High School, Calabar, Cross River State, came third.
In the senior category, 15-year-old Ekeemini Keziah Effiong-Robert of the African Church Model College, Agege, Lagos, emerged winner. Chetachi Best Mbalu from Lagooz Schools, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, was second, while David Nkereuwem from Holy Mary Comprehensive College, Benin, Edo State, occupied third position.
Laptops were given to first-place winners of the competition in each category as well as topnotch headphones, a free three-months coding course at ULesson Coding School, monthly 10-gigabyte Internet data for one year, branded travel suitcase, a unique keepsake hoodie, a thermal flask and schoolbag.
Besides the above prizes for the winners, the schools’ award in the senior and junior categories went to the African Church Model College, Agege, and Igbobi College, Yaba, respectively, winning 20 and 10 high-capacity laptops per school.
One of the winners, Temitayo-Ojo, stated that he did his best and when his school published the essay, he wrote on the topic: “How to improve education with technology, in Nigeria.” With that, he won the award. He advised fellow students to show more interest in technology.
Managing director/CEO of the company, Mr. John Obaro, remarked that the outfit was 30 years old this year. And for surviving in a country like Nigeria, they were celebrating with the children on the use of “enabling education through technology.” He noted that they had a lot of entries and from there winners emerged.
“When people are educated, they become self-confident and they cannot be manipulated. This is how to empower them for the future. And we want to encourage the children to take up technology, because the future is technology. We look at education, look at technology as the hope for the future,” he said.
He said when individuals are educated, they become more creative and useful to society. He said the competition was their little way to encourage children to take interest in education and technology.
“When there is a combination of education and technology, it helps them, even to sustain their businesses and manpower. With technology, we can create education that will make people not to leave the country, but stay here,” he said.
