Lagos: Sweetthinkers, a non-profit organization, on Thursday organized stage one of its Academic Excellence Award examination for pupils in public primary schools in all local government areas of Lagos State. The initiative aims to support and improve academic performance in government-owned schools and provide scholarships to winners of the competition.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the organization tested the candidates in Mathematics, English, Science, and General Knowledge, with examinations conducted by officials from the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB). Ten candidates from each local government area who scored 26 marks and above will qualify for stage two of the exercise scheduled for September.
A representative of Sweetthinkers, Nnenna Chinedu, from the Media Department, stated that the project targets elevating and projecting academic excellence among pupils in government schools in Lagos State. Chinedu emphasized that the organization is committed to helping every child, especially those in public schools, thrive regardless of their socio-economic background. She noted the prevalent focus on private schools and expressed the organization’s intention to spotlight government schools, providing pupils a platform to compete among themselves.
Chinedu further explained that the examination is divided into four segments. ‘This is the preliminary stage; 10 pupils with the highest score from the ongoing examination will move to the second stage, third stage, and then the grand finale,’ she said. Educational scholarships are planned for the first runner-up, second runner-up, and winners of the examination at the grand finale in 2026.
Earlier, Mrs. Adeniji-Arron Abidemi, Desk Officer at Ikeja Local Government Education Authority, one of the examination centers, praised the initiative. Abidemi noted that the exercise exposes pupils to various examination phases and enhances their preparedness. She mentioned that candidates were restricted to pupils in primaries four and five, as they still have ample time in school, unlike primary six students who will progress to secondary schools in September.
She expressed satisfaction with the turnout and performance of the pupils, stating, ‘We told the schools to present two best students from each of the 31 selected schools and they all did well, but we picked the best 10. We are very happy with Sweetthinkers for bringing this initiative to the grassroots and extending this opportunity to our students; this is not common in public schools, and we say a big thank you, and they should keep it up.’
The officer encouraged pupils to see themselves as winners and highlighted that there would be other similar opportunities to compete. The participating schools include Lagos State Model Primary School, GRA Primary School, Army Model Primary School, and Central Primary School, among others.