The grand finale of the 10th edition of the Tolaram Science Challenge (TSC) was held last week in Lagos, with Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Ibeju-Lekki emerging as the winner for the third consecutive year. The school triumphed over Magbon-Alade Senior Grammar School in a fiercely contested competition.
Competition Overview
The Tolaram Science Challenge, sponsored by Lagos Free Zone, is an annual science competition for schools in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos. It brings together bright young minds from 16 participating secondary schools, each represented by six students. Students are tested in five core subject areas: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and General Knowledge.
At the end of the competition, Ibeju Senior High School, Lekki and Community Senior High School, Lekki secured third and fourth positions, respectively. Three students with outstanding performances—Nyong Jebson, Adekunle Ephraim, and Ashikodi Chukwu—secured first, second, and third positions individually, each receiving a cash prize.
Official Remarks
Speaking at the grand finale, Director, Zone Development, Binay Saraf, who represented Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja, described the decade-old competition as a remarkable milestone. He noted that it started as a modest initiative and has grown into one of the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programs of Lagos Free Zone.
“Over the past decade, we have seen this event grow in scale, participation, and impact. Each year, more schools, more students and more teachers have joined us on this journey of discovery and learning. Today, the Tolaram Science Challenge has become a platform that encourages curiosity, innovation, critical thinking and healthy competition. More importantly, it has become a symbol of our commitment to investing in the future of our communities,” Ladoja said.
She noted that the company’s commitment to the competition reflects its belief that today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and leaders. “At Lagos Free Zone and Tolaram, we believe that developing communities goes beyond building infrastructure or creating jobs. It also means creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow and discover their potential,” she added.
She charged students to see competitions not as a matter of winning a trophy, but as opportunities to develop confidence, learn to solve problems, work as a team, and discover what they are capable of achieving. “Whether you receive a prize today or not, the knowledge you gain, the friendships you build, and the experience you take away will remain with you for life,” she said.
Commitment to Education
Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Lagos Free Zone, Vishal Shah, noted that the Zone remains committed to improving the quality of education in the Ibeju-Lekki axis through the initiative. He stressed that over the past 10 years, the initiative has fostered healthy competition among pupils and improved performance in various qualifying examinations.
In his remarks, the Visioner of the Tolaram Science Challenge, Olakunle Fadumiye, said the intent behind the competition was to ensure participants return to their schools as ambassadors of excellence and possibility, regardless of whether they win or not. “When we started in 2016, many students had little motivation to pursue science subjects. Some preferred fishing and informal work instead of going to school because they saw few opportunities through education. University seemed unattainable to many. Yet we believed that if we could inspire even a few students to dream bigger, we could begin changing the future of an entire community,” Fadumiye said.
He commended the leadership team of Tolaram and LFZ for laying the foundations that have become symbols of economic transformation and national development. He urged LFZ to continually offer TSC alumni preference for industrial training opportunities, internships and NYSC placements within the Zone, noting that these opportunities will provide practical experience, professional exposure, and workplace skills that will prepare them for future success.
Impact on Students
Mrs Olubunmi Ajibola-Morebise, Deputy Director, Schools Support Unit, Education District 3, Ikoyi, Lagos, commended the management of Lagos Free Zone and Tolaram for sustaining the vision that has kept the competition going. She stressed that there is no doubt that the competition had impacted pupils in Ibeju-Lekki by fostering a better reading culture and promoting keen competition among teachers.
A total of 32 students were also awarded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scholarships for their outstanding performance in the competition.
Speaking shortly after receiving the trophy, the team captain of Iwerekun Community Senior High School, Fawaz Alayo, expressed excitement about the outstanding performance, describing it as a combination of teachers’ efforts and the immense support the school extended to the team.
