A student of Ferscoat School, Ipaja, Lagos, Oluwadarasimi Idowu, has emerged overall winner of the 2025 National Mathematics Competition (NMC).
The competition, held at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, featured finalists from all 36 states of the federation.
Idowu, who represented Lagos State in the senior category, secured first place out of 22 contestants. Students from Benue and Oyo states placed second and third, respectively.
Ferscoat School also fielded another student, Sunday Dominion, in the junior category, where he placed ninth out of 23 participants. Ogun State clinched the top two spots in the junior division, while Oyo State came third.
Coordinator of the competition, Mr N. Abdul, commended the Lagos delegation, noting that the state won the highest number of awards across the board. He stressed the need for teachers to prepare students beyond the standard curriculum, as the contest had no fixed syllabus.
Although Lagos placed third in the primary category, it was eliminated in the fourth round of the team-based senior event.
Speaking on the achievement, Ferscoat Principal, Mr Fred Opata, attributed the school’s success to collective dedication and a culture of academic excellence.
“This performance reflects the hard work of our teachers and the commitment of our students. We remain committed to supporting excellence at all levels,” he said.
Idowu, 16, described her win as the result of personal drive and the support system around her.
“I wanted to prove to myself that hard work and consistency pay off. I thought about my parents’ sacrifices, my teachers’ belief in me, and friends who pushed me to do better. I didn’t want to let them down,” she said.
She described the competition as tough but exciting, saying it challenged her thinking and boosted her confidence.
Her coach and mathematics teacher, Mr Peter Akintayo, said preparations involved solving past questions, mock drills, and timed exercises to improve accuracy and speed.
“Beyond academics, we worked on confidence-building and mental readiness. Our goal is to ensure every learner, not just the top performers, can grow and succeed,” he said.
He added that future preparations would include broader problem exposure, increased simulation exercises, and strengthened mentorship to raise performance across the board.
