Three public school students have emerged winners of the Kwara State Inter-Local Government Quiz Competition on Agricultural Education Training Programme, carting home a total prize of N850,000.
At the end of the competition, Torkuma Perfect of St Anthony Secondary School emerged winner and received N500,000.
Ibeh Daniel, also of St Anthony Secondary School, emerged first runner-up with N250,000, while Abdulrahman Thani Fatimah of Queen Elizabeth School placed third and received N100,000.
The competition, which featured at least 19 students from public basic schools across the 16 local government areas of the state, was organised by the State Universal Basic Education Board alongside the official launch of the Environmental Sustainability Club through a tree-planting initiative.
Speaking, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, noted that the quiz competition was designed to promote intellectual engagement, innovation and healthy rivalry among students across the state.
He said, “The Inter-Local Government Quiz Competition is more than an academic exercise but a platform for intellectual engagement, innovation, and healthy competition among students from across our sixteen local government areas.”
The governor also encouraged residents to cultivate the habit of tree planting, protect green spaces and avoid indiscriminate waste disposal in schools and communities.
According to a statement by Ameenat Abiola Atere, Press Secretary, Kwara SUBEB, the governor urged school children across the state to embrace agriculture as a pathway to food security, wealth creation and economic growth.
Represented by the SUBEB Chairman, Prof. Sheu Adaramaja, the governor described the initiative as a key pillar of his administration’s education and environmental sustainability agenda.
“This event represents two critical pillars of our administration’s development agenda: quality education and environmental sustainability. It is particularly gratifying to see our young learners at the centre of this initiative,” he said.
“These children are the future leaders, innovators, farmers, scientists, and environmental stewards who will shape the destiny of our state and nation.”
He added that agriculture should be seen not only as a means of subsistence but as a modern, technology-driven sector capable of creating wealth and ensuring food security.
“We are encouraging them to see agriculture not merely as a means of subsistence but as a modern, technology-driven sector capable of creating wealth, ensuring food security, and driving economic growth,” he said.
On environmental sustainability, he said tree planting represents life, resilience and collective responsibility.
“The trees we plant today symbolise life, hope, resilience, and our collective responsibility to protect the environment,” he added.
He explained that trees play a critical role in improving air quality, preventing soil erosion and reducing carbon emissions.
The SUBEB said the Agricultural Education Training Programme is designed to expose pupils to modern agricultural practices and encourage interest in agribusiness.
