Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Ibeju-Lekki, has emerged winner of this year’s Tolaram Science Challenge, securing its third consecutive title.

The school defeated Magbon-Alade Senior Grammar School in the grand finale held in Lagos.

The Tolaram Science Challenge, launched in 2016, is a yearly competition for secondary schools in Ibeju-Lekki axis and sponsored by Lagos Free Zone.

The contest brings together secondary school students to present ideas and practical solutions to real-world challenges through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

Sixteen secondary schools participated in this year’s edition, with each school fielding a team of six students.

The students were assessed across five subject areas, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and General Knowledge.

At the end of the contest, Ibeju Senior High School, Lekki, placed third, while Community Senior High School, Lekki, finished fourth.

In the individual category, three students recorded the highest scores. Nyong Jebson finished first, Adekunle Ephraim placed second, while Ashikodi Chukwu emerged third, and were rewarded with cash prizes.

Thirty-two students were also awarded scholarships to cover the cost of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) based on their performance in the competition.

Speaking at the grand finale, the Chief Executive Officer, Adesuwa Ladoja, and the Director, Zone Development, Binay Saraf, who represented, said the competition, now in its 10th year, began as a modest initiative and has developed into one of the corporate social responsibility programmes of Lagos Free Zone.

“Over the past decade, we have seen this event grow in scale, participation, and impact. Each year, more schools, more students and more teachers have joined us on this journey of discovery and learning. Today, the competition has become a platform that encourages curiosity, innovation, critical thinking and healthy competition. More importantly, it has become a symbol of our commitment to investing in the future of our communities,” Ladoja said.

She noted that the company’s continued support for the competition reflects its position that students represent the next generation of innovators, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

She said that community development also includes creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow and discover their potential.

She urged the students to see competition as an opportunity to build confidence, solve problems, work as a team, and identify their capabilities.

Also speaking, Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Vishal Shah, said the Zone remains committed to improving the quality of education in the Ibeju-Lekki axis through the initiative.

Shah noted that in the last 10 years, the initiative has fostered competition among pupils and improved performance in qualifying examinations.

Visioner of the Tolaram Science Challenge, Olakunle Fadumiye, said the objective of the competition was for participants to return to their schools as ambassadors of excellence and possibility, irrespective of their final standing.

“When we started in 2016, many students had little motivation to pursue science subjects.

Some preferred fishing and informal work instead of going to school because they saw few opportunities through education. University seemed unattainable to many. Yet, we believed that if we could inspire even a few students to dream bigger, we could begin changing the future of an entire community,” Fadumiye said.

Deputy Director, Schools Support Unit, Education District three, Ikoyi, Lagos, Olubunmi Ajibola-Morebise, said the contest has impacted pupils in Ibeju-Lekki by fostering a reading culture and promoting competition among teachers.