Master Gideon Samuel of Government Junior Secondary School (JSS), Pasali in Abuja has emerged the overall winner of the 8th Korean-Nigerian Drawing Competition.

Samuel, a Junior Secondary II student was awarded the Golden prize of a Samsung Notebook (laptop) at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) on Tuesday in Abuja.

His painting titled “Passion Connected” was adjudged the best out of 150 paintings submitted by students from 30 JSS across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Gideon Samuel’s painting “Passion Connected”

Speaking earlier, the Director of the Korean cultural Centre, Mr Han Sungrae said the competition was initiated in 2010 was aimed at improving drawing skills and creative ability among JSS students in the FCT.

“This competition is to help boost creativity and help the children to know the history of their country and Korean through drawing and painting.

“This year’s competition was centre on the Summer Olympic that is coming up in Korean in February, 2018; this will happen after 30 years of such Olympic; it was last held in Korea 1988.

He explained that a total of 150 art works were received for the competition, out of which 20 were selected for the awards; 10 for consolation prizes and 10 for the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes.

“I thank the FCT Universal Basic Education (UBE) Board for working with us since the inception of this competition in 2010,” Sungrae said.

In his own remark, the Director of FCT UBE Board, Dr Jatau Namo represented by Hajia Hawakulu Lawal said that Nigeria and Korea had built a beneficial relationship especially in the area of education.

According to her, the relationship had led to the building and donation of a primary school at Airport road by the Korean Government to the FCT.

“Our teachers have also benefited from the KCC in the area of creative arts which is in the school curriculum.

“This drawing and painting competition organised by the centre will go a long way to improve creativity and self-employment for the students in the future,” Namo said.

While giving a progress reports about the competition, Mrs Uche Onwugbufor, a director at FCT UBE Board said the competition started with 20 schools from the Abuja Metropolitan Area Council (AMAC).

“We later decided to include other schools out of AMAC and rotate the competition in such a way that one year would be for Primary schools and the next year will be for JSS.

“This year is for JSS and next year will be for primary schools.

“We use to have between 40 and 400 participants; but this year, we were able to engage 30 schools; 25 from public and five from private schools.

Other recipients include Emmanuel Olayode, Abraham John and Faisal Usman, all of JSS, Jiikwoyi who won the second position.

The third position was won by Asadu Chibueze and Adam Ebiriku of JSS Nyanya 1, Abdulsalam Zubairu of JSS Gwagwalada and Jonathan Stephen of JSS, Pasali.
Others are Isreal Oghaduku of JSS Iddo Sarki and Atuchengbe Joseph of JSS Nyanya.

Consolation prizes of certificates and Korean souvenir were also given to 10 students of junior school from across the territory.

A high point of the event was a Korean POP dance performance by the Korean Centre Dance Team and ‘Commendation Award’ by the centre to Onwugbufor.

(Source: NAN)