OCP AFRICA AND BLACK COUNTRY FARMS ARE THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS AT THE PREMIER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CONTEST 1.0.
OCP Africa and BlackCountry Farms have been announced as the lead sponsors for the inaugural National Agricultural Science Quiz Competition, set to premiere on top TV channels in Nigeria and across Africa starting Saturday, April 6, 2024.
The Brightest competition, touted as the largest and most captivating high school contest with a special emphasis on food production, preservation, and technology.
Agriculture forms the bedrock of civilization and a robust economy. Industrial agricultural progress in Africa has been limited. To bring about positive change, Africa needs to initiate a deliberate agricultural revolution, which will enhance food production, processing, and preservation through technology. This initiative led to the creation of the Brightest National Agric Science Competition.
The Brightest National Agric Science Quiz Contest 1.0 commenced in October 2023, with 16,039 students from 2,559 schools participating in the National Qualifying Examination, an online series of tests conducted on the CruxCBT platform.
Following the completion of the tests, 81 students from across the six geopolitical zones qualified for the second phase of the competition, where they stand a chance to win various amounts of university scholarships based on their performance.
To kickstart the proceedings, these students attended a special Brightest Masterclass 1.0 where OCP Africa Group, Backcountry Farms, and Providus Bank interacted with them on technology in agriculture.
During the session, Dr. Donald Madueke, head of Agronomy, Africa at OCP Group, and Ms. Ifunanya Meka, Agronomy Service Officer, led an interactive session on food production titled “From farm to table; the journey of our food,” analyzing the food chain process from planting to consumption using technology.
They emphasized the symbiotic relationship between food, farmers, and consumers, stressing the importance of understanding the food production process for all. The students, divided into groups of 10, were tasked with selecting their favorite food and presenting a five-minute talk on the planting and harvesting process.
Ms. Alexis Udegbe, Head, Strategy & Growth, CoS, BlackCountry Holdings, engaged the students on various technologies for farming purposes, both in crop cultivation and animal rearing. Ms. Olajumoke Adetola of Providus Bank delivered a lecture on “Financial Responsibility.” Following the Brightest Masterclass 1.0, there was a question-and-answer session, as well as a photo session with the students and sponsors.
Kiki Omeili, the Brightest TV Host, hosted the event, captivating the students with her background in science as a trained Medical Doctor from the University of Lagos.
One of the highlights of this inaugural season of the Brightest National Agric Science Competition is to raise N100m through crowdfunding from individuals and corporate organizations for the university education of the top 81 students and some outstanding teachers.
The Brightest National Agric Science Competition is an initiative of JustMedia Production, Africa’s largest school-based content aggregator, known for projects such as InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition Nigeria and Kenya; Cowbellpedia National Math Contest; MathContest Nigeria; Cruxlearning Math Contest Africa, and WordSmith.
Source: Techeconomy
