The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has unveiled the national winners to participate in the 10th edition of the African Organisation for Standardisation’s (ARSO) annual continental essay competition.
A statement from the office of the Director General/ Chief Executive, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim named the winners as Chisom Bartholomew Chukwuma of University of Ibadan, Oyo State, who emerged as the overall winner, having scored 74.8%, Babalola Segun Samson of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Osun State came second with 74.4% and David Abosede Iyiola of University of Ibadan, Oyo State came third with 74.3%.
Two other essays from Kenneth Chuwuebuka Egwu of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State who scored 72.9% and Lorreta Uchechukwu Anyika of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State with 72.5% completed the five entries to be presented by Nigeria to ARSO for the continental competition.
The theme for this year’s edition of the competition according to the statement is “The Role of Standardisation in Promoting the Growth of Micro, Small and Medium –sized Enterprises (MSME’s) for Sustainable, Inclusive and Diversified Industrial and Economic Development in Africa”.
Mallam Salim congratulated the national winners of the essay competition and expressed the hope that some of the five entries from Nigeria would be among the final winners at the continental edition of the competition.
He enjoined all undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Nigeria to participate in future editions of the competition to further spread the gospel of standardisation and deepen the understanding of its potential for value addition to lives, the economy and the environment.
The SON Chief Executive expressed appreciation to the Inter-Ministerial Screening Committee responsible for the collation, assessment and scoring of the essays.
Forty-seven essays were received from government approved tertiary institutions out of which Thirty – six met the requirement for assessment, the statement said.
Members of the Inter-Ministerial Screening Committee, according to the statement signed by the Director, Public Relations, Mrs. Foluso Bolaji, include representatives of the Federal Ministries of Education, Health, Women Affairs and Social Development as well as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Others are the National Universities Commission, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, the National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria providing the Secretariat and coordination.
