4 September 2008
Lagos — Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Grace Ekpiwhre has challenged members of the newly inaugurated Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Abuja 2010 International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) that Nigeria emerge winner of the tournament.
Ekpiwhre made the call in an address at the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee for the Abuja 2010 International Junior Science on Tuesday.
In a statement signed by the ministry's chief press secretary, Abdulganiyu Aminu in Abuja, the minister also tasked members to ensure the organisation of the event meets the best International standards so that visitors would have memorable impressions about Nigeria.
To be able to achieve this, she advised them to co-opt individuals and organisations who could lend support both in cash and kind to ensure the success of the event. This, she said could be done by encouraging them to sponsor one event or the other during the competition.
In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the 2010 International Junior Science Olympiad, Professor Peter Okebukola lauded President Umaru Yar'Adua on his giant strides in Science and Technology in Nigeria and see the coming fiesta as another feather to the success cap of government.
He promised that the committee would begin the process of preparing a comprehensive blue-print for the successful hosting of the competition.
The blue-print, he said, would address technical preparation, accommodation of the Junior Olympiads and as the general administration of the event.
He explained that by hosting the 2010 edition of the International Junior Science and Olympiad, Nigeria stands to benefit especially in early identification of exceptional talents in Science and Technology that can be nurtured to be future Nobel Prize winners and top-rate Scientists which will contribute to driving Nigeria's economy in its march to realising vision 2020.
"The hosting will also lead to an improvement in the quality of mathematics and science education, promotion of tourism and the international image of Nigeria will also receive a boost through the hosting.
An Olympiad is a competition to showcase physical and intellectual talents and to promote social and cultural linkages. The science olympiad is an intellectual Olympics where participants compete for medals in intellectual tasks in science. International Science Olympiads (ISO) are a group of worldwide annual competition's in various area of science".
The competitions are designed for about six best secondary students from each participating country selected through National Science Olympiads.
The inaugural edition of the competition was held in Indonesia. Indonesia also hosted the 2005 competition.
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