By Ibrahim Taiwo, Usman
The Sigma Club, University of Ibadan has held its Press Conference for the 2026 Roseline Etuokwu Sigma National Secondary School Quiz Competition, today, Thursday, 12th of March, 2026.
The Press Conference was intended to better communicate relevant information regarding the 6th edition of the 2026 Roseline Etuokwu Sigma National Secondary School Quiz Competition to the public.
The competition, which is held in honour of Roseline Etuokwu, the mother of Dr Victor Etuokwu (an Old Sigmaite and the sponsor), is a three-stage competition for secondary schools in Nigeria. It features a state stage for secondary schools that registered for the competition in all 37 states (the 36 states and the FCT) in Nigeria. Then, a regional stage to choose 6 winning secondary schools, each representing one of the 6 regions in Nigeria. Now, at its last stage, the national stage, featuring six regional secondary schools in Nigeria.
The nationals are to be hosted at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan on Saturday, 14th of March, 2026 and the participating schools include:
- Global Kids Academy (Sokoto) – North-West
- Federal Government College (Suleja, Niger) – North Central
- Restoration High School (Yola) – North-East
- Ambassadors College (Ogun) – South-West
- Deeper Life High School (Owerri, Imo) – South-East
- Eggheads International School (Port-Harcourt, Rivers) – South South
Furthermore, according to the Chairman of the Committe for the competition, Goke Olaoluwa, the dignitaries invited to the competition include the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, the Deputy Vice Chancellors, the Deans of Students, some hall wardens, all members of the Students’ Union Executives and also members of the University of Ibadan Students’ Representative Council.
Other important dignitaries include the Chairman of the Alumni Association of the University of Ibadan, members of the Ministry of Education and the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Royal Highness Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the Royal Father of the Day.
Regarding the cash prizes for the winners of the competition, 5 million Naira, 2 million Naira and 1 million Naira are to be awarded to the first, second and third schools respectively, while 5 hundred thousand Naira is to be awarded each to the fourth, fifth and sixth schools as consolation prizes. The committee chairman answered that the margin in the cash prizes is to promote the spirit of competition, citing that in any competition, if the differences between the overall winner and the runner-ups are not much, nobody will strive to be the overall winner.
“We want competitiveness. We want people to strive to be the best school in Nigeria”, he added. He also said that, the winning schools at the state stage of the competition had received a sum of two hundred thousand naira each for winning before proceeding to the regional stage. Also, at the regional stage, the winning schools are awarded a sum of five hundred thousand naira each.
Additionally, the national competition is going to be in three rounds as a way to decide the winners. At the first round, the sixth and ffith school will be eliminated. At the second round, the 4th school will be eliminated, while the third round is to determine the schools to take the first, second and third position.
Also, the committee chairman answered that the transportation, accommodation and feeding of the schools throughout the competition have been catered for by the Sigma Club till a day after the competition.
When question as regarding if there has been any petition of complaint regarding the results in the past and how Sigma Club is going to handle any if any arises, the Committee Chairman answered that “there has not been any protest or complaint regarding the results” or how the competition was organised because “Sigma Club Quiz Competition is the most transparent among all quiz competitions in Nigeria. This is confirmed by teachers”.
On a further note regarding how transparency is maintained in the competition, the Committee Chairman analysed that the competition is in three stages: state, regional and national. At the first stage, students are given written exams comprising 100 questions covering Mathematics, English Language, etc. Then, the answer booklets would be given to the teachers who accompanied the students to verify. Specifically, the answer booklets contain the right answers, explanations on how Sigma Club arrived at the chosen answers and why other answers are wrong. After these answers have been satisfactorily verified by the teachers to be correct, the scripts will be marked. When marking the script, structures are put in place to ensure that a teacher from ISI will not mark the script of ISI. Finally, after the scripts have been marked, the scripts will be given to the teachers who accompanied the students to cross-check and verify for any mistakes (if any). All these according to the Committee Chairman happens in less than two hours and the winners will be known. According to him, schools write “the same exam at the same time” across all the states.
Finally, regarding the report that Sigma Club specified to the winning schools how the cash prizes are to be shared at the last year competition, the Committee Chairman answered that “some people are of the view that the school should take the cash prizes, while some are of the view that the students should, so we suggested a 50/50 share between the school and the students”. According to him, the same will be done this year. He emphasised that it is a suggestion and no school was mandated.
