Traders’ daughter emerges Spelling Bee winner

Boluwatife Tijani

A pupil of Araromi Primary School, Orile-Agege, Lagos State, Miss Boluwatife Tijani, has emerged winner of the primary school category of the annual Spelling Bee competition.

Boluwatife, 12, was named the overall best pupil at the end of a keenly contested competition at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Lagos, on Wednesday. She was rewarded with a cash prize of N150,000 and a plaque for her efforts.

The contestants, who were drawn from public primary schools in the six education districts in the state, had an intriguing time spelling tricky words such as barracuda, casserole, quarantine, igloo, acapella and others.

At one point, a contestant spelt the world ‘aisle’ as ‘high.’

Before finally bursting into tears, Boluwatife, whose parents are traders, said, “I feel so happy and excited. I prepared by reading the dictionary and my teachers also helped me. I would like to be a medical doctor in the future, but I don’t know how the money will be spent.”

In her address, Director-General, Office of Education Assurance, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, said the Spelling Bee Competition was “conceived to encourage academic excellence.”

She added that the annual programme, which was initiated in 2001 by a former first lady of the state, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, through her New Era Foundation, has since been adopted by the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

“The competition helps pupils to improve their spelling skills, increase their vocabulary and develop correct English usage. It also creates good reading habits that will lead to better academic performance and boost the confidence of the participants, with a view to preparing them for future endeavours,” Soyombo said.

According to the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, the secondary schools’ category of the competition, which has produced 14 One-Day Governors, will soon hold.

She said winners at both primary and secondary school categories would benefit from government education scholarship.

“The success of the winners at the competition, over the years, has continued to motivate our pupils to greater heights, as manifested in their achievements in their chosen careers.

“This is buttressed by the achievements of past winners who had graduated with distinctions and are now in enviable professions nationwide,” she said.

Ifaniyi Iretiola, a pupil of the Methodist Primary School, Ibeshe; and Jonathan Awobodu, a pupil of Abesan Primary School, Ipaja, emerged second and third position winners respectively.

They were also rewarded with plaques and cash prizes of N100,000 and N75,000 respectively.