The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has unveiled the Nigerian representatives for the 10th edition of the African Organisation for Standardisation’s (ARSO) annual continental essay competition.
The Director-General/Chief Executive of SON, Mr Farouk Salim, announced this in a statement on Tuesday (May 30, 2023) in Abuja.
He said that the participants are all university undergraduates who have won a national essay competition.
The competition is entitled “The Role of Standardisation in Promoting the Growth of Micro, Small and Medium–sized Enterprises (MSMEs) for Sustainable, Inclusive and Diversified Industrial and Economic Development in Africa”.
Salin said that the participants include Chisom Chukwuma of the University of Ibadan, who emerged as the overall winner with 74.8 per cent while Babalola Samson of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, came second with 74.4 per cent.
He said that David Iyiola of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, came third with 74.3 per cent and Kenneth Egwu of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, scored 72.9 per cent.
He further said that Loretta Anyika of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, won with 72.5 per cent and completed the five entries to be presented by Nigeria to ARSO for the Continental competition.
While congratulating the winners, Salim 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 nstitutions in Nigeria to participate in future editions of the competition to further spread the gospel of standardisation.
Salim said that their participation would further deepen the understanding of standisation potential for value addition to lives, economy, and the environment.
The SON chief executive commended the Inter-Ministerial Screening Committee responsible for the collation, assessment, and scoring of the essays.
He said: ”Forty-seven essays were received from Government-approved tertiary institutions, of which 36 met the assessment requirement.
”Members of the Inter Ministerial Screening Committee include representatives of the Federal Ministries of Education, Health, Women Affairs and Social Development and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, the National Human Rights Commission and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit are members of the committee.
Others are the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria providing the national Secretariat and coordination.
Ref: NAN
Ref: NAN
