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
A significant step has been taken by the duo of Alternative Bank (AltBank) and the Busayo Ademuyiwa Foundation (BAF) to address the declining access to trained educators across Nigeria.
The two organisations recently a one-day capacity programme for teachers in the country at the 2025 BAF Teachers’ Conference in Lagos.
The event delivered hands-on training to hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers drawn from underserved communities across the country.
Nigeria’s education sector sits at a critical inflection point. With over 65 per cent of classrooms in underserved regions lacking access to trained educators or modern teaching tools, the learning crisis represents a structural failure with long-term economic consequences if not adequately addressed.
Rather than focus on policy rhetoric or aspirational targets, the conference tackled hard realities including teacher burnout, mental resilience, classroom innovation on a budget, and digital skill development.
Sessions were designed for practicality and replication, enabling attendees to take back immediately usable tools and frameworks to their schools. Specialised workshops on emotional health, low-tech teaching methodologies, and inclusive learning design underscored a broader commitment to both teacher well-being and student outcomes.
Key stakeholders in attendance included policymakers, school heads, and representatives from Nigeria’s corporate CSR sector, underscoring the convergence between social investment and educational equity.
Featured speakers included the president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Mr Audu Titus Amba; the General Manager of BIC Nigeria, Mr Anthony Amawe; the founder of Almanah Hope Foundation, Hope Ifeyinwa Nwakwesi; and Doyinsola Jawando-Adebomehin of Sequoia Span.
“The people who hold up Nigeria’s education system don’t need applause, they need backup,” the Executive Director for South at AltBank, Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, stated.
“We see this platform as critical infrastructure. Equipping a teacher with the right tools and support is the most direct path to long-term national productivity,” she added.
“The challenge in Nigeria’s education sector is execution, not awareness. This partnership is part of a broader operational strategy to find the pressure points, inject support where it changes outcomes, and back it with measurable value. Our role is catalytic, not just financial,” Mrs Demola-Adeniyi stated further.
Business Post reports that the conference aligns with the bank’s HEART Strategy, a long-term investment thesis focused on Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Technology.
Under this framework, the Bank continues to deploy capital and partnerships into scalable solutions targeting Nigeria’s most underserved sectors.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
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