Zenith Bank to sponsor students to global Microsoft Championship
Photo credit: NAN
Zenith Bank says it will encourage more Nigerian students to participate in
the annual Microsoft Office Specialist Championship.
The annual Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is a global competition
that tests students’ skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Miss Katherine Eta, a Nigerian secondary school student, came third in the
last championship held in California, US. Zenith International Bank sponsored
five Nigerian students to the last championship.
Mr Peter Amangbo, Zenith Bank Group Managing Director, made the promise when
he received Eta and Mrs Edna Agusto, the Vice Chairman of ReadAmana, organisers
of the championship in Nigeria.
He said that the bank would work with ReadAmana to ensure that more Nigerian
students would participate in future editions of Microsoft Championship.
Amangbo said the objective of the competition aligned with the bank’s strategy
on corporate social responsibility which had youth empowerment through ICT at
its core.
“It was good to hear something refreshing coming from Nigeria. From that
perspective we are indeed pleased that our children can actually distinguish
themselves in such a global event.
“I want to assure you that for us in Zenith, technology is what we are known
for. “When it comes to supporting the younger ones, when it comes to
initiatives like this, we are willing to partner with others like you to make
ICT education accessible.
“Our own objective is to see how we can spread this to more children to have
the opportunity not just in this part of the world, but almost all over “I
believe that over time we can extend it to children outside Lagos and help the
growth of ICT,” he said.
Amangbo promised the bank’s support for the planned enlargement of the
competition to enable more students take part in the Nigerian competition and
earn the chance to represent the country in future world championships.
The last championship was contested by about 1.1 million students from 140
countries out of which 157 students from 50 countries eventually qualified to
compete in the world finals.
ReadAmana, which organises the Nigerian competition, has already declared
its intention to enlarge the competition.
“You know you will be able to stand and be able to do more things, it is a
solid foundation in this ICT world because today, digital literacy is the
language of the economy. “So, if you don’t know how to speak this language you
are at a disadvantage,
“So we decided to start at the grassroots, work with the schools so that
these children can have the right foundation and from there, they can move on
to more advanced computer certification and knowledge,” Agusto said.
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