Lagos — Five Nigerian Universities have qualified to fly the country's flag in this year's edition of Zain Africa Challenge, Africa's top television quiz show involving 32 Universities across the continent.

The institutions that qualified for Season IV of the competition include: University of Ibadan (UI), University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, University of Abuja, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and University of Jos (UNIJOS). The five Nigerian Universities will compete with 28 others in Africa for this season's trophy.

The schools emerged tops after a highly competitive National Qualifying Tournament (NQT) held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, involving 16 Universities across the country.

For students of the University of Ibadan, the qualifying tournament brought back special memories as their representatives, once again, showcased amazing intellectual ability, easily earning one of the five slots for Nigeria.

With the qualification, UI would not only represent Nigeria at the international festival in Kampala, Uganda, later in the year, but would also defend the trophy it won last season. Last year, UI conquered 31 universities in Africa to emerge winner of the third season of the closely contested quiz.

The 16 universities that participated in the National Qualifying Tournament (NQT) of the challenge were selected by the National Universities Commission (NUC). They included Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bowen University, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and Katsina State University (now Musa Yar' Adua University), Katsina.

Others were Niger Delta University, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, University of Abuja, Ambrose Ali University, University of Calabar, University of Jos, University of Maiduguri, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Federal University of Technology Akure, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Lagos Akoka, and University of Ibadan.

Speaking at the NQT, Emeka Oparah, Zain's Head of Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility said, the Zain Africa Challenge is a tangible expression of Zain's philosophy of "a wonderful world," which under girds its relationship with its esteemed customers.

Oparah added that it was a special experience that Nigeria, in its first participation in the tournament last year, brought back the winners' trophy, adding that the country's representatives at this year's tournament again has all it takes to win the trophy back-to-back.