The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) on Thursday urged all female students to show more interest in the learning of Mathematics in order to perform better in the society.
The Director/Chief Executive, NMC, Prof. Promise Mebine gave the advice at the 2022/2023 award ceremony of the crowning of the Nigeria Mathematics Queen for the 2022 Mathematics Competition at Sheda, Kwali Area Council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition was organised for girls at the public junior secondary schools across the country under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The theme of the event is: “The importance of Mathematics in female education on national development through the Sustainable Development Goals”.
Mebine said that the Nigerian girl-child (student) has been placed in a disadvantaged position, especially in the area of education, adding that this has relegated her in the general scheme of things.
He said that the girl-child hardly competed educationally with her male counterpart, hence the Centre’s top priority was to spark interest in the girl-child’s education and her special involvement in Mathematics.
“It is on this background and our quest to develop, identify, motivate, inspire, and boost the interest of the girl-child student in mathematics that this special competition for the Junior Girls Olympiads competition was conceived.
“As far as SDGs 4 and 5 are concerned, these Junior Girls are our ‘Would-be women leaders’ tomorrow: Mothers and home keepers, Accountants, Technologists Mathematicians, Engineers and Scientists among others.
“Therefore, an investment in Mathematics for the girl-child is a positive developmental investment in future of our country,” Mebine said.
The director, while calling on relevant stakeholders to assist towards the training of teachers and students, said that the Centre had designed and produced instructional materials for the effective teaching and learning of Mathematics.
On her part, the Senior Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire said that statistics showed that girls perform poorly in Mathematics.
Orelope-Adefulire, who was represented by Dr Ify Ukaegbu, Desk Officer, SDGs, Ministry of Education, said that there was gender gap in Mathematics, coupled with the high rate of school dropout among girls at the secondary school levels.
She encouraged the participants at the contest to put more effort in the learning of Mathematics, saying that the competition would bridge the gender gap in Mathematics.
Speaking on the importance of Mathematics in female education, Prof. Uche Anaduaka said that education empowers individuals to be productive in the society.
Anaduaka said “if a child is equipped with mathematical knowledge he/she will excel in life”.
According to her, education changes the mind, character and abilities of individuals while female education will produce mothers who are literate and will in turn educate their children because education of a child begins at home.
“Mathematics is life; it is key to science, technology and engineering among others.
“It helps a child to reason logically, when one is good in Mathematics he/she will be successful in all other subjects,” Anaduaka said.
Dr Sylvester Okwuoza, the Desk Officer, SDGs, NMC said that the aim of the competition was to identify girls that would do well in engineering, technology and sciences among others.
NAN reports that the climax of the event was the crowning of the 2022 Nigeria Mathematics Queen in the person of Chinenye Oganno of Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Oganno emerged the overall best among the 86 contestants in the Mathematics Competition nationwide. (NAN)
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