A childhood promise to ensure that academic excellence receives recognition has brought together 176 students from 27 secondary schools across Ebonyi State for the third edition of the Dr Ofobuike Nwanku Foundation quiz competition, with ₦1 million in prizes for the top three contestants.
The competition for senior secondary school students, held on October 10, 2026, at Government Technical College, Abakaliki, marked the birthday of the foundation’s founder, Dr Ofobuike Nwanku, a medical doctor practising in the United Kingdom and Chief Executive Officer of Moxie Homes & Properties Ltd, Abuja.
Now in its third year, the annual event encourages reading, rewards academic achievement and supports educational development in Ebonyi State.
Chima Testimony Ugomsinachi of King David Gifted Academy emerged as the overall winner, earning the ₦500,000 first prize. Nwafor Isioma Celine of St Theresa’s Secondary School secured second place with ₦300,000, while Obu David Chigozie, also of King David Gifted Academy, finished third, earning ₦200,000.
The contestants answered 50 objective questions comprising 20 in English Language, 15 in Mathematics and 15 in General Knowledge. Participation was free.
The Programme Director, Comrade Polycarp Obinna Alegu, confirmed that 176 students from 27 schools participated in the exercise. He said the competition concluded successfully, adding that teachers who accompanied their students commended the transparency of the process.
The winners received ceremonial cheques at the venue. Alegu said he would visit their respective schools on Monday, October 12, to present the cash prizes in the presence of their parents and teachers.
He congratulated the winners, thanked his organising team and commended Dr Nwanku for sponsoring the programme.
For Dr Nwanku, the initiative carries a personal significance rooted in his own experience as a schoolboy representing Ebonyi State in academic competitions.
Growing up in Umuoghara, Ezza North Local Government Area, he represented his school in competitions at local, state and national levels. He recalled emerging as a state champion on several occasions, but receiving little recognition or material encouragement for those achievements.
In 2005, he represented Ebonyi State at the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria competition in Jos and the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists competition in Abuja. At the latter, he was part of a team of five students from the state that finished second.
Despite the effort involved, the absence of rewards became discouraging. His parents, concerned that the competitions offered little encouragement for his hard work, at one point urged him to stop participating.
That experience inspired a promise: if he had the means in future, he would sponsor competitions and reward deserving students so that their efforts would be recognised.
The annual quiz competition is an expression of that commitment, giving young people the encouragement he wished he had received.
Dr Nwanku said the programme was designed to strengthen reading habits among students and complement government efforts to make education more rewarding for children. He also thanked Alegu and his organising team for delivering the third edition.
Alegu said the initiative also sought to support the efforts of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration in advancing education in Ebonyi State.
A native of Ebiaji village in Ogharugo community, Umuoghara, Dr Nwanku began his education at Community Primary School, Ogharugo. He later attended Urban Model Secondary School, Okpaugwu, Abakaliki, and St Theresa’s Secondary School, Abakaliki, one of the schools represented among this year’s winners.
He studied Medicine and Surgery at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, graduating in 2018, and completed his housemanship at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital. He subsequently undertook his National Youth Service Corps programme at the Guards Brigade Medical Centre, Mambilla Barracks, Asokoro, Abuja.
He went on to earn a master’s degree in Public Health at Teesside University in the United Kingdom, where his academic work included published articles on waste management. He has practised medicine in the United Kingdom since 2023.
Alongside his medical career, Dr Nwanku leads Moxie Homes & Properties Ltd, an Abuja based real estate company involved in property development, real estate investment, infrastructure and housing solutions. Through the business, he also contributes to employment and opportunities for young people.
His foundation focuses on healthcare, education and human development. Its activities have included free healthcare services for rural communities and people in need, assistance with school fees for disadvantaged students, and support for community development.
For Dr Nwanku, dedicating his birthday to the competition gives a personal celebration a wider purpose: recognising hard work and helping another generation of students see value in learning.
The post From Childhood Promise to ₦1m Prizes: Dr Nwanku Marks Birthday with Quiz Competition for Ebonyi Students appeared first on Vanguard News.