Students to get N20 million scholarships in UNESCO endorsed competition

No less than forty-two thousand primary and secondary school students are to benefit from N20 million United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), endorsed competition in some states of the federation.

The competition would also see contestants drawn from 10,400 schools across 10 Internally Displaced Person Camps (IDP), 10,000 schools from 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking on the “SPELL & THRILL” competition, which would begin in October this year, the President of Educand Education Initiative, Mr Ayo Ikulamberu said it is a spelling and digital literacy competition meant for students of primary and secondary schools in the country.

Registration for the competition which was slated to end by 31st May 2022 has now been extended till 15th July 2022, while all the stages of the competition will now take place by October 2022. These extensions are to afford the active participation of more schools, parents, and teachers.

According to him, the initiative, for this edition, schools, teachers and contestants stand the chance of winning over N20 million in scholarship funds and rewards.

Ikulamberu in a statement yesterday said that not less than 25.000 contestants have benefited from the competition in the last six years that it began.

“The past six editions of the UNESCO endorsed contest have had combined participation of more than 25,000 contestants from over 5000 primary and secondary schools across eight states of Nigeria since the competition’s inception in the year 2012.

“To mark the 10th anniversary of SPELL and THRILL competition and in line with her vision and goals, EEI has decided to take SPELL and THRILL up to the national level,” tge statement read.

It noted that the 2022 edition would have the participation of students from 25 states, the FCT and 10 IDP camps. Schools and parents can register their candidates online via www.educand.org by clicking on the enroll button

“EEI is an education-focused, community development Non-Governmental Organisation with the UNESCO endorsed SPELL and THRILL intervention competition and UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) After-School-Clubs as its flagship projects.

“EEI’s flagship projects are set out to promote the improvement of literacy, self-awareness, ability to thrive under pressure and the overall broadening of the knowledge scope of children of primary and secondary school age while also tutoring them about the dangers of fake news, terrorism as well as hate speech,” he added.

He stressed that the competition which is put together for primary and secondary schools in Nigeria will be in three stages namely; State, Regional and National and the national contest would be televised live and more than N20 million in scholarship funds and rewards will be won across these stages.

Ikulamberu said “We strongly believe that the SPELL and THRILL! The competition will continue to bridge the gap of nosedived educational quality in Nigeria.  (Nigerian Tribune)