The Spelling Bee is an annual competition for public primary and secondary schools in Lagos -Nigeria. It was initiated and introduced to the Lagos State Ministry of Education by New Era Foundation (NEF).
The Competition which started in 2001 is categorized into two distinctive levels; the Primary and Secondary level to allow equal peering in the students intellectual Quotient (IQ) and intellectual abilities. Age limitations for the two categories are 6years -12years, and 12years -17years for primary and secondary schools respectively.
The preliminaries of the Competition hold at each of the 57 Local Government Area (LGA) and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the Sate to produce winners who then represent the various LGA and LCDA at the Grand Finale of the competition which comes up annually in the month of February.
Prizes for the winners range from cash to an all expenses paid Students Educational Exchange Programme abroad and the rare opportunity for the overall winner to become ‘One Day Governor’ in Lagos State.
Since the introduction of the competition in 2001, the following students have emerged winners and ‘One Day Governor’; Master Ebuka Anisiobi, Maryland Comprehensive High School, Maryland, 2001, Miss Otiti Ovuewhorie of Lagos Model College Badore was the winner for 2002, Master Emmanuel Aiyenitaju, Birch Freeman High School winner 2003, and Miss Tolulope Esan of Lagos Model College, Meiran won the 2004 edition.
Others are Master Oyetade Ajao, Badagary Grammer School, 2005, Master Abundance Ikechukwu, Ire Akari Senior Grammer School, Isolo 2006, while Miss Mariam Busari of Civil Service Model College, Igbogbo, emerged winner in 2007. Master Daniel Osunbor was the year 2008 overall winner. In 2009, Master Daniel Osunbor handed over the crown of the Spelling Bee Winner to Miss Olaide Adesopo after a keenly competed 2009 Grand finale. Olaide Adesopo, age 16 years. She is a student of Estate Senior Grammar School also in Ilupeju, Lagos.
Miss Toyin Adeosun of Meiran Secondary school emerged the overall winner of the 2010 edition of the competition.
Apart from the cash prizes, 1st to 3rd position winners for the secondary category participate in a summer exchange programme in Finland. This is following a bipartite arrangement with the Finnish education authorities. The group normally spends two weeks with different Finish families. This allows them to share and experience each other’s culture and traditions in a very convivial atmosphere.
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