EMMANUEL NWELEDUM, Port Harcourt
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has restated its commitment to quality education and STEM development as the 2026 NLNG Science Contest ended Wednesday in Port Harcourt with Government Comprehensive Secondary School (GCSS), Borikiri, emerging overall winner.
The competition, themed “Powering Tomorrow: Science and Innovative Solutions,” drew 140 secondary schools across Rivers State in a three-phase contest designed to promote STEM education, spur healthy academic rivalry, and nurture future scientists, engineers and technologists.
After rounds of intense intellectual challenge, GCSS Borikiri clinched the top prize at the grand finale, with judges noting the school’s accuracy, composure, and strong grasp of science concepts across Mathematics, ICT, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Speaking at the finale, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, described the contest as a deliberate investment in young people and in Nigeria’s next generation of innovators.
Horsfall said the NLNG Science Contest provides the framework required for innovation-led projects to thrive, as the firm continues to inspire a sustainable future through the power of science.
She added that the platform had been redesigned to strengthen foundational knowledge across core science subjects and “go beyond the textbook, sparking the critical thinking and innovation that our world so urgently needs.”
“This platform now serves as a genuine catalyst for excellence. We have redesigned it to strengthen foundational knowledge in Mathematics, ICT, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology across a much broader scope. Our goal is to go beyond the textbook, sparking the critical thinking and innovation that our world so urgently needs,” she said.
Horsfall stressed that “NLNG is committed to promoting quality education and strengthening interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, adding that the future of the country would depend largely on young minds who could think critically, innovate boldly, and provide solutions to real-life challenges.”
In the Science Project Exhibition segment of the contest, Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Orominieke secured first place, followed by Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary School in second and Government Girls Secondary School Finima-Bonny in third. Eleven of 42 schools reached the final stage of the exhibition, while seven schools qualified for the grand finale out of the initial 140.
Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dr. Peters Nwagor, said education remains the foundation for scientific innovation, equipping young people with critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
He noted that the state government recognizes the strategic importance of science education in building a prosperous and competitive society.
“The Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, remains committed to strengthening the education sector through improved infrastructure, capacity building for teachers, curriculum enhancement, and the promotion of STEM education,” Nwagor said.
He congratulated all participating students, saying their presence at the final stage was evidence of hard work, discipline and intellectual excellence. “Whether or not they emerged winners, they had already distinguished themselves as future scientists, innovators, engineers, researchers, and leaders,” he said.
First introduced in 2008 and relaunched in 2020 after a six-year pause for process improvement, the NLNG Science Contest has grown into a major platform for promoting excellence in science education in Rivers State, organisers said the recent introduction of the Science Project Exhibition has expanded its scope, allowing students to showcase practical solutions to scientific and environmental challenges.
The competition is organised in partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Education, the Rivers State Chapter of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), and Dragnet Solutions Limited. Over the years it has become a strong platform for identifying talent and inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists in the state.
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