For the second year running another School which represented Education District One (1), Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege has emerged winner/ champions of the highly contested Seventh (7) Edition of the “LAGOS READS INTER – SCHOOLS QUIZ COMPETITION among Secondary Schools that qualified from the preliminary rounds held in their various districts in the state.
The Seventh edition of the competition was held at the Multi purpose hall of the State Universal Education Board, Maryland, Lagos on Friday, 11th July, 2025, organised by Lagos State Library Services in Collaboration with the Ministry of Tertiary Education.
At this year’s competition, Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School, Agege ably represented by Ibrahim Wiqoyatu, Avoseh Esther and Olufemi Tolulope with a total of 16 Points came first after the shool answered questions which covered wide range of subjects in Science subjects, Mathematics, Economics, Use of English, General Knowledge, Government and Current Affairs and General Knowledge about Lagos Affairs. The winning school went home with a Giant trophy, medals, bags, books and certificates of participation as Champions and overall winner of the competition.
Dairy Farm Senior Secondary, Agege, who won the competition, were followed closely by Ojora Memorial Senior Secondary School, Ajeromi – Ifelodun’s trio of Adisa Taiye Hassan, Ikeboh Esther and Francis Nelson with 14 Points, and went home with second placed trophy, medals, bags, books and certificates.
As it was in last year’s competition, A tie break was required between the two schools to determined the first and second placed winners of the 2025 Quiz Competition.
Utsu Comfort, Bakare Olamipo and Ogunlaja Khadijat from Ireti Senior High School, Ikoyi, Obalende representing Education District III ( 3) placed third at the competition and received a trophy, medals, bags, books and certificates to show for their efforts.
While Declaring the Quiz Competition Opened, the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Adeniran Waheed Kasali, disclosed that the quiz competition was organised so that the students can see the importance of reading constantly which is a step in shaping them for the future challenges in the Centre of Excellence as encapsulated in the THEME+ Agenda, particularly the third pillar, which is “Education and Technology”
The Commissioner opined that if the students read constantly and widely they are well informed, as those who are not informed are deformed and can only be informed if they always and will gained a lot, which he said will improve their vocabulary and language skills.
He said the student that read constantly and widely will be well informed, as those who are not informed are deformed and that the only way they can be informed is when they read always as they have a lot to gain from reading every book that comes their ways.
He encouraged them to read as this will improve their vocabulary and language skills, have more comprehension and developed more of their Critical thinking, which will make them survive the rigor in the 21st Century and will make them to possess that knowledge and experience.
The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary want the students not to be stereotype but encourage them to consciously read, to consciously develop themselves and continuously raise the level of their consciousness and will at the end of the day becomes a better citizen and be able to contribute meaningful to the society and excel as you grow in your career.
In conclusion, he commended the supporting roles played by the existing agencies in the Ministry including, the Scholarship Board, Agency for Mass Education and also appreciate the efforts put in by Management and Staff of Library Services led by their Director, Mr. Oyadipe Amoo for the initiative in putting this laudable programme together which is in its seventh edition for enhancing the knowledge of the students across the state.
In his address of welcome, Director, Lagos State Library Services, Mr. Oyadipe Amoo Asimiyu, who welcomed all the Management and Staff of the Ministry of Tertiary Education including all its Agencies, guests, Students and other stakeholders to 2025 “Lagos Reads Inter – School Quiz Competition disclosed that “A reading culture is an environment in which reading is championed, valued, respected, and encourage as reading lies in the heart of the Curriculum, which is the utmost importance to the child personal, social and academic excellence as well as their general wellbeing.
Mr. Oyadipe stated that the Lagos State Library Services in accordance with mandate that established them, Lagos State Library Services is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that reading culture will be of high priority among all the students in Lagos State and its environs and will be improved inline with Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu’s “THEME PLUS AGENDA” Especially the Third Pillar: “Education and Technology” and urged all the students to make use of Pu blic Library closer to them.
He concluded that all the participating schools and students were carefully selected for this year’s competition after they went through a rigorous preliminary rounds in the six education districts of the state where the best schools emerged as champions to take part in the finals to determine the school that will go home with the coveted trophy.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Josephine Ogufere, Author, African Writers Tribe said that Reading is more than school requirement which is a life super power because when you read constantly, you grow constantly and you expand your mind, understand deeply and solve problem with confidence.
Mrs. Ogufere disclosed that the students read constantly, they travel the world, even they have never left their streets. Reading will enable you to know others culture, new ideas and new dimensions and they will become more creative as “Great Readers, becomes Great Thinkers, Leaders and builders of new dreams. You will communicate better by learning new lives.
She urged the students to join the Tribe that allow them read and write extensively, as African Tribe is a Global Community of African Story tellers, Author, with active members in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Tanzania, Egypt, Botswana, South Africa, the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Australia and Canada and to unlock possibilities led to launch of 1 Million Readers Campaigns and I believe we can get a million Lagosians to fall in love with reading again.
Special Adviser, PMO, Ibrahim Bab Obanikoro congratulated the Library Services for the Initiative and the Innovation in organising this programme and prayed that the Quiz Competition get better in years to come.
The highpoint of the Inter – Schools Quiz Competition was the distribution of well designed School’s bags, books and certificates to all the participating students from all the Six Education Districts of the State.
