Learn Africa Plc, formerly known as Longman, has awarded N2.250m to the three best students in the 2023 National Examination Council.
The three best students were overall best, Chima Okafor of St. Paul’s Academy, Plateau State. 17-year-old Okafor who had nine A’s was awarded a sum of N1m.
Chelsea Ifebube of Renaissance Garden School, Lagos was given a sum of N750,000 while Charles Taleatu of Oritamefa Baptist Model School was given a sum of N500,000.
Speaking during the award ceremony in Lagos, the Chairman, Learn Africa, Mr Emeke Iwerebon, who congratulated the three achievers who graced the occasion with their parents enjoined them to make the celebration a source of inspiration for greater achievements.
He said, “Remember that success is not confined to a select few. With hard work, determination, and a passion for learning, you too can achieve greatness. Believe in yourselves, set high goals, and work tirelessly towards them.”
Iwerebon explained that in the company’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, the Learn Africa Education Development Foundation was established the Learn Africa NECO Excellence Award in 2012.
Okafor who wishes to be a medical doctor attributed his success to long years of hard work and dedication and having an end goal in mind from the onset.
He advised students, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, reading is the only way out. There’s no shortcut to success. So you have to do the work. You should work hard and also work smart. Know when to do the right thing.”
Ifebube also said, “Generally, I think it’s a lot of built-up hard work. I was unfortunate to have missed SS1 and a bit of SS2 because I had come in from South Africa. It took a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of prayer, especially to get to where I was and ask God to just favor me and lead me. I’m very thankful for that and the foundation I’ve had.”
Taleatu who spoke of his father’s influence on his academics, added, “Yes, very important. I celebrate my father a lot. He likes buying books, even those not in our syllabus. When I read them, I’m exposed to a wider area of knowledge, and I can compete better. They’ve also created a support system that made it easy for me to read and study without distractions.”
