Education
Promasidor Marks 20 Years of Reigniting Passion for Mathematics
By Dipo Olowookere
The relationship between Cowbell and Mathematics hit a milestone this year with the celebration of 20 years of rewarding and celebrating secondary school students thriving in the subject dreaded by students in Nigeria.
Last week, to mark this celebration, organisers of the show, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, aired a special edition of the Cowbellpedia show titled ‘Cowbell Milk of Kindness’.
The programme highlighted the remarkable contributions of Cowbell Milk to Mathematics in the country through the voices of student participants in a special ‘docu-feature’ produced to commemorate the relationship between Cowbell and Mathematics in the last twenty years.
Parents, teachers, students, and other stakeholders in the education sector have applauded Promasidor Nigeria Limited for this continued support and sponsorship of this program.
The impact of the mathematics quiz show has been massive in arousing and re-awakening the interest of students, especially at the secondary school level as testified to by several teachers.
One of such teachers was Mr Hamzat Dankanawa of Nigeria Tulip International College, Abuja, who has been in the profession for over two decades.
With a vast knowledge in tutoring Mathematics, Mr Danakawa towered above his peers for being able to motivate students to participate in the Cowbellpedia competition consistently over the years.
As a mentor and teacher, he equally noted that the impact of the competition on the students could not be quantified as the programme has helped the students to expand their horizon in the subject.
Another teacher with the Federal Government Science Academy, Suleja, Niger State, Mr Olugbenga Otunnubi, also remains a shining star in his commitment to teaching and nurturing students for Mathematics and participating in Cowbellpedia competition for several years.
Mr Otunubi, with about three decades experience as a teacher, is described as an exceptional Mathematics teacher by his colleagues. He also lauded the Cowbellpedia initiative for its impact on the lives of students and future inventors.
On his part, Mr Femi Fasotito, teacher of the 2015 and 2017 champion of the competition, Munachi Ernest-Eze, commended Promasidor for what he described as an unparalleled intervention to support Mathematics education in Nigeria.
For his role in building a champion, Mr Fasotito received N250,000 cash prize in 2015 and another N400,000 in 2017.
“I am a fulfilled teacher today because the performance of my students in various external examinations is now the major talking point among teachers in the school. It has also become a thing of pride for the school,” he enthused.
Munachi himself, who was a student of Loyola Jesuit School in Abuja, got N750,000 as the junior champion in 2015 and N1 million as a senior champion two years later, in addition to educational excursions outside the country.
Munachi’s parents, Mr and Mrs Ike Ernest-Eze, disclosed that Promasidor and Cowbellpedia have made them the happiest couple and parents in the world.
In 2016, Promasidor began to encourage mixed schools to present a minimum of two girls for each category to represent them in a bid to promote girl-child education further.
A direct impact of the girl-child campaign championed by UNICEF was felt in 2016 when 8 of the 12 finalists in the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show competition were girls.
Recognising this effort, Ms Jean Gough, Country Representative of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in her goodwill message, commended the Cowbellpedia team for its commitment to education for all in Nigeria.
She maintained that investing in girl education is perhaps the most cost-effective opportunity to break the cycle of poverty permanently.
Ms Jean Gough was represented by Charles Nzuki, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, at the 20th-anniversary celebrations.
An impressed National Examination Council (NECO) also commended Promasidor for stimulating the interest of Nigerian students in Mathematics through Cowbellpedia.
From its beginning in 1998, Cowbell and Mathematics have expanded in size, scope, and prizes. It now holds in over 200 centres across the nation and over 11,000 schools.
To further underscore its expansion, the number of students participating jumped from 33,269 in 2015 to over 50,000 in 2017. In 2018 registration took a new turn to strictly online from which over 40,000 students registered and sat for the examination conducted on Saturday, February 17, 2018.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deadline for entries for the 2025 Maltina Teacher of the Year competition has been extended to Friday, September 5 from Friday, August 22, a statement from the organisers has revealed.
The prestigious event, organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc, is used to celebrate teachers from across the country.
Now in its 11th edition, the Maltina Teacher of the Year award has become a coveted prize for the teaching industry in Nigeria.
The Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, explained that the decision to extend the deadline by two weeks was in response to requests from teachers who asked for additional time to complete their submissions.
“We’ve received significant interest from teachers across the country who requested more time to prepare and submit their entries. This extension is to ensure that as many deserving teachers as possible can participate,” Mr Odenigbo said.
“The 11th edition of the Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative is open to all secondary school teachers currently teaching in Nigeria. The competition remains an effective intervention program geared towards giving pride to the teaching profession and improving the education sector in Nigeria as a whole,” he added.
Mr Odenigbo noted that eligible teachers interested in taking part in the competition are to log on to www.maltinateacheroftheyear.com to complete their application online. Alternatively, they can download the form and send the completed form via email to maltinateacheroftheyear@heineken.com.
He reiterated the commitment of the company to rewarding teachers, stating that the overall winner for the competition would receive a trophy, a total cash prize of N10 million, a capacity development training abroad, and a school infrastructure project worth N30 million in his/her school.
“The first runner-up of the competition will equally receive a trophy and a sum of N5 million, while the second runner-up receives a trophy and N3 million. All state champions will be rewarded with recognition plaques and a cash prize of N1 million each,” he added.
The Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative was established in 2015 and is funded through the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, which was set up in 1994 to facilitate an active contribution to the development of the education sector in Nigeria in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A mobile platform tailored to transforms the way people learn to code by combining interactive challenges and real-time AI-powered feedback has been launched.
The application, Efiwe, a mobile-first and AI-driven platform that allows anyone to master coding directly from a smartphone, was created to make coding accessible to all
It offers comprehensive training in HTML through hundreds of structured challenges, with CSS and JavaScript set to follow soon.
The platform, launched on Saturday, August 16, 2025, is embedded with an adaptive AI tutor, which analyses learner’s progress, prioritises errors, predicts helpful hints, and adjusts the pace of lessons. The AI doesn’t just point out mistakes, it personalises the journey, ensuring that each learner is challenged but never overwhelmed.
According to the founder of Efiwe, Mr Chidi Nwaogu, the platform was borne out of a clear signal of the urgent global demand for more inclusive and accessible coding education.
He said through Efiwe, learners can be guided step by step to build a professional website from scratch, moving from a blank page to a polished project without the need for a computer or additional software, noting that by focusing on mobile accessibility, Efiwe ensures that coding education is no longer limited by device or geography.
The platform’s offline capability, powered by lightweight on-device AI models, is one of its most groundbreaking features. Once loaded, Efiwe can function without an internet connection, allowing learners in regions with limited or expensive connectivity to continue their coding journey uninterrupted. Its multilingual support in 33 languages further broadens accessibility, making it a truly global solution.
“We believe coding education should be fun, accessible, and effective — and that’s what Efiwe delivers.
“With over 33 languages available and a fully offline mode, we are breaking down barriers and giving people from all backgrounds the chance to learn how to code. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an aspiring developer, Efiwe is here to help you grow,” Mr Nwaogu stated.
“Efiwe is built on the belief that anyone, anywhere, should be able to start their coding journey. By making it mobile-first and offline-ready, we’re especially empowering learners in regions where internet access is limited or costly. Efiwe is proof that technology can bridge the global digital divide,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the disbursement of a total of N86.3 billion loan to 449,039 students since the scheme was launched on its portal on May 24, 2024.
According to the latest daily status report released on Monday, August 11, 2025, the scheme disbursed the loan as of August 6, 2025.
The fund noted that “the scheme delivers on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of empowering every Nigerian student through access to higher education funding.”
It said the disbursement included N47,629,338,384 paid directly to 218 institutions as tuition fees and N38,718,120,000 given to students as upkeep allowances.
The report further revealed that 731,140 students have registered on the loan portal, out of which 720,732 have successfully applied for loans — representing a 98 per cent application success rate.
Data from the dashboard shows a daily increase of 933 in the number of successful registrants and an additional 1,094 successful applicants.
The update was necessitated by concerns over alleged misconduct threatening the integrity and transparency of the student loan scheme established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024.
There have also been cases of students who have graduated still receiving loans, as well as loan payments to institutions even after students have paid their fees as well as collusion between some tertiary institutions and financial institutions to delay, divert, or conceal student loan disbursements.
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