By Efese Jim
The Functioning Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Engr. Jonathan Ukpebor has disclosed that the 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award (YONSPA) competition is organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Education and designed to encourage science students in the State towards better academic performance in their various public and private secondary schools.
Making this disclosure while addressing pressmen at Imaguero College, the State’s center for the examination, the Functioning Permanent Secretary explained that the examinations were scheduled to take place in the three senatorial districts of the State, with a focus on touching every Local Government Area.
Engr. Ukpebor further explained that YONSPA is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. The competition provides an opportunity to science students in both private and public secondary schools in the 774 LGAs in Nigeria to compete for scholarship award from Degree up to Ph.D level in a science discipline in any federal university in Nigeria. The state best science student represents the state at the National Finals in Abuja where the three (3) best states get the scholarship plus a cash prize of N1, 000,000, N750,000 & N500,000 for 1st, 2nd & 3rd respectively, adding that the national competition would be conducted by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology.
Responding, on behalf of the winning school, University demonstration secondary school Mr. Kenneth Iduseri, a physics and Math’s teacher appreciated the State Government for the opportunity, describing it as a golden opportunity given to students in the public and private schools which would not be misused.
