Have you ever witnessed secondary school students participating in a quiz competition? If like us, you have, then you would agree that these competitions are filled with exciting, attention-grabbing reactions from the participants that keep you glued to your seats! MTN Foundation, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has put together a quiz competition for secondary school students on substance abuse.
We attended the elimination stage of the competition which was held virtually between June 6th and 7th, 2023, and watched students answer some pretty tough questions on substance abuse until six finalists emerged to compete for the grand prize on June 23rd, 2023. Here are the five kinds of students we met during the competition;
The Efikos
These are the students that essentially ate their study materials from cover to cover. They didn’t shy away from difficult questions and even sometimes went further to provide reasons for their answers. They came prepared to win the grand prize.
The Shy Ones
Even when they knew the correct answer to the questions, they were shy to speak up. Luckily, each school had three representatives so in cases like these, the other students were there to echo the correct answer to secure their school’s points.
The Ones That Couldn’t Wait for Lunch Break
Let’s just say food is life because we watched students light up like Christmas trees during the lunch break. Students who once seemed quiet and reserved quickly became active chatterboxes when the break was announced.
The Prayerful Ones
We saw students whisper words of prayers before answering every question. As they say, ‘what God cannot do does not exist’.
The Cheerful Ones
This set of students remained cheerful throughout the competition irrespective of the outcome. You could even see them cheering for their counterparts as they responded correctly to their questions. They definitely came to the competition with a ‘we are all winners’ mentality. Love to see it!
There you have it! Five types of students we met at the virtual elimination stage of the ASAP quiz competition. We can’t wait for the finals in Abuja where we get to physically meet these participants.
The Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) quiz competition is designed to provide participants with the necessary information to make healthier personal choices and avoid risky situations that can predispose them to substance use. The competition is also designed to provide an avenue for participants to act as advocates against substance abuse, educating peers and even members of the family unit on the dangers, triggers, and effects of substance abuse.
