Science, Mathematics critical to oil sector, economy growth

Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja and Deeper Life School, Akure have emerged first and second place winners respectively of the National Mathematics Tournament Competition in which over 200 schools across the country participated.

The competition organised by Mathematics for Life Foundation is one of the activities adopted by the foundation for the promotion and advocacy of the study of mathematics in Nigeria.

Omoniyi Osuntunyi, President of Mathematics for Life Foundation while speaking at the event held at Eko Hotel in Lagos said the foundation’s mission is about making statement that will drive desire for more students to study and embrace the numerous benefits of Mathematics and the socio-economic impact it offers.

“We at Mathematics for Life Foundation are interested in building capacity for students in Nigeria to be exceptional in the field of Mathematics and able to compete shoulder to shoulder with students from the developed nations”, he said.

Earlier, Olabisi Ugbebor, a university lecturer and first Nigerian female professor of mathematics in her presentation titled
‘The mathematics of election choices, voting and outcomes urged Nigerians to vote in the forthcoming general elections according to socio-economic issues put forward by candidates and not parties.

Ugbebor whose presentation was part of the activities to mark the 2019 mathematics conference and exhibition organised by the Mathematics for Life Foundation observes that it’s disheartening that Nigeria’s voting patterns in general elections over the years since political independence in 1960 up till now are similar.

She further opines that the electorate are always boxed into a corner by making fixated choice of who to vote for only between two major dominant political parties irrespective of their performance or what they could do to better the lives of the generality of the people.

She urge electorate to put sentiment aside and vote for candidates who can lift health, power, education and agriculture as well as other sectors of the economy to appreciable level and not a particular party.

While expressing worry over figures manipulation by politicians and electoral bodies in the previous elections, the university Don said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should ensure that total votes cast at all polling booth be at par and not higher than numbers of registered voters.

“It is absurd when the number of votes cast is higher than the registered voters, it should either be lesser or at worst the same,” she said, noting that whatever the outcomes of the forthcoming election will shape the future of Nigeria.

High points of the 2019 mathematics conference and exhibition was the presentation of prizes to Kingsley Igbokwe, a final year law student from University of Nigeria, Nsukka who won the National essay competition.

Igbokwe’s entry on the topic ‘the effect of Free and Fair election on Nation building was adjudge the best was presented was a cash prize of N100, 000.

There was also National Merit award presentation to the outing performance in the 2018 WAEC and UTME.