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First Bank Nigeria Sponsored Prime Apex Spelling Bee Contest, packaged by Apex News Magazine.
First Bank Nigeria Sponsored Prime Apex Spelling Bee Contest, packaged by Apex News Magazine.
The first annual PRIME APEX Spelling Bee (PASB) contest, being organised by Prime Apex News Magazine and sponsored by First Bank Nigeria, SECUREID Group, and a host of other companies and individuals, will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2023, to commemorate this year’s Children’s Day celebration.
Other companies supporting the project are A & P Foods, a Pladis Global company; Cargo Zeal Limited; Kings Guards Securities Nigeria Limited; and Bash Oil and Gas, owned by Aare Bashir Fakorede.
The individuals who are also throwing their weight behind the projects include Prince Sesi Whingan, a newly elected member of the Federal House of Representatives, to represent Badagry Federal Constituency in the 10th National Assembly.
Two traditional rulers from Badagry division, Oniworo of Iworo Kingdom, who was a former member of the House of Representatives, Oba (Dr.) Oladele Friday Kosoko, JP Ogundeyi II, and Onimeke of Imeke, Oyikilu I, Oba (Dr.) Abraham Olatunji Ogabi, JP, are also supporting the contest.
Others are some Nigerians in the diaspora, such as Messrs. Ayo Ogunshola, Yemi Ojo, Jacob Akinola, and James Akinola, all residing in the United States of America.
The spelling competition is for secondary school students in the Badagry division of Lagos State, where about 20 top secondary schools in the area are expected to participate in the exercise, which will be held at De Club and Event Centre, Igbanko Road, Imeke, Badagry.
The PASB is a community-wide enrichment event organized by Olu Angel Ventures and First August Solutions Limited, publishers of Prime Apex News Magazine.
According to the executive director of the project, Ms. Angela Daodu, in a press statement, the PASB is modeled after spelling bees held by schools and other organizations in the United States to help promote literacy by allowing children to work towards a specific goal and providing a forum in which they can demonstrate their accomplishments.
“Bees also help children improve their spelling, vocabulary, study, and public speaking skills and their ability to thrive under pressure,” she added.
She said about 1,000 students from various institutions, private and public, were expected to participate in this year’s event.
According to her, “Each school is expected to present a maximum of 50 registered students to witness the competition, and of that figure, only three chosen by the school will actively participate in the bee to represent each school.”
The PASB, she added, “is open to English-speaking children in secondary schools. Plaques and certificates will be presented to the top three students in the bee competition, while participating schools will also be awarded certificates.
She pointed out that apart from the competition, there would be other activities to mark Children’s Day. “These will include social interactions, mock news reading, and entertainment.
The spelling bee for this year, according to her, is structured to accommodate students in a single group. It will be basically an oral competition to mark this year’s Global Children’s Day celebration, but it may be restructured in the future.
She explained that the project was a product of her organisation’s interest in meetings and competitions for parents, teachers, and other professionals on social, educational, and emotional needs.
