Ogunsuyi, Sangolade shine at 2017 Spell and Thrill contest

After a keen contest with other finalists, Ogunsuyi Pelumi of Greater Tomorrow Model College, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Sangolade Stephanie of St. Clare’s Catholic Primary School, Osogbo, Osun State, have emerged winners in the Secondary and Primary School categories of the 2017 edition of the Spell & Thrill competition. A spelling competition for private and public primary and secondary schools in the South West States, the project is organised by Educand Education Initiative (EEI).

At the grand finale held recently at the 2500-Capacity Main Auditorium of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Ogunsuyi and Sangolade emerged overall winners in their categories out of thousands of students from various Secondary and Primary Schools from Ekiti, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States who participated at various preliminary stages.

Oladapo Pelumi of Ambassador’s College, Sango-Otta, Ogun State took second position, while Ogunleye Joy of Bofoat Model International College, Ugbe-Akoko, Ondo State and Adeyeye Samuel of Divine Grace High School, Ilesha, Osun State emerged joint third position winners in the Secondary School category.

In the Primary School Category, Oboho Michael of UAMC, Eleja-Pahayi, Ilaro, Ogun State took second position and Afolabi-Bakare Goodness of Comfort Tenderfeet Nursery and Primary School, Akure, Ondo State came in the third position.

The winners were all rewarded with cash prizes of N250,000, N150,000 and N100,000 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively in both categories. The winners were also presented with other educationally relevant reward packages, while Laptop computers were presented to the winning schools’ coordinators.

Speaking at the regional finale, the project initiator of the Spell & Thrill and President of Educand Education Initiative EEI, Mr. Ikulamberu Ayotunde said the competition was initiated to create a platform for peer mentorship, a forum for educators and students to showcase fruits of their diligence outside of the classroom environment.

Ayotunde said the competition is about moving Nigeria forward through investment in Education, which is one of the greatest tools in the sustenance of humanity and the positive growth of a Nation.

He also noted that the competition is to get young Nigerians to know that there is a reward for diligence in getting academic education as without academic education, human being will be nothing and the human race and the nation will be on its race to non-existence. He, however, said the cash prizes for the 2018 edition would be reviewed upward to N1million for the top winners.

Also speaking at the grand finale, Mr. Olasoji Alabi, a member of the Board of Educand Education Initiative (EEI), stated that the event, which has been witnessed just in the Southwestern States so far, would in its 2018 edition have all the public and private schools in the six geopolitical zones in the country participating.

“We have come this far and we are totally set on Nigeria’s National Unity through unification of Nigerian primary, Junior and senior secondary schools students through the SPELL & THRILL! Competition as the competition is much more than just a spelling competition,” Alabi said.

The event had in attendance Executive Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN as the Chief Host, top states’ Government officials, UNESCO National Professional Officer, Mr. Olushola Macaulay as well as other dignitaries.

Now in its fifth edition, this year’s competition started with states’ competition and elimination stages commenced on September 11, 2017.

According to Alabi, in the last five years, Spell & Thrill has had direct, positive and measurable impact on 2421 schools and 4953 students.

“Over these years, the project constantly deployed its instruments of engagement towards breaking intergenerational cycle of low literacy levels. Just recently and for many seasons ahead, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) identified Spell & Thrill as an indubitable collaborative forum for the integration of the Media and Information Literacy, MIL curriculum into Nigerian Schools’ curriculum,” Alabi said.