Sweetthinkers, a leading non-profit organisation, has launched the first stage of its Academic Excellence Award examination aimed at supporting and elevating academic performance among pupils in public primary schools across all 20 local government areas of Lagos State.
The initiative, conducted in partnership with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), tested pupils in Mathematics, English, Science, and General Knowledge, with the top ten scorers (those with 26 marks and above) from each LGA qualifying for stage two, scheduled for September.
Empowering Public School Pupils with Equal Opportunities
According to Nnenna Chinedu, a representative from Sweetthinkers’ Media Department, the program seeks to empower government school pupils who are often overlooked in academic interventions.
“We realised most initiatives focus on private schools. So we created this platform to spotlight and celebrate pupils in public schools,” she said.
She also emphasized that the organisation is passionate about creating pathways to success regardless of students’ socio-economic backgrounds.
Multi-Stage Competition with Scholarships for Top Performers
The competition will run in four stages, culminating in a grand finale in 2026, where the winners, including the first and second runners-up, will receive full educational scholarships.
Chinedu explained,
“This first round is just the beginning. Pupils who qualify will proceed to more competitive stages until the final.”
Local Education Authorities Applaud the Initiative
At the Ikeja examination centre, Mrs. Adeniji-Arron Abidemi, Desk Officer from the Local Government Education Authority, praised the initiative, describing it as rare and timely for grassroots development.
She noted that only pupils in primary four and five were allowed to participate to ensure continuity, as most primary six students are transitioning to secondary school.
“We selected two top pupils from each of the 31 participating schools. The turnout and performance were impressive,” she added.
Bringing Quality Education to the Grassroots
Participating schools included:
- Lagos State Model Primary School
- GRA Primary School
- Army Model Primary School
- Central Primary School
- Bola Memorial Primary School
- St. Peter Primary School
- Ikeja Primary School
- Onilekere School
…and many more across the state.
Abidemi concluded by encouraging the pupils to see themselves as winners regardless of the outcome, promising that more such opportunities will arise in the future.
