Clement Idoko, writes on the forthcoming Congress of African Mathematicians scheduled to hold in Nigeria in July and preparation of Nigerian children for Rubik’s Cube competition during the fiesta.
Mathematics is the most dreaded and hated of all science subjects. Yet, it has been variously described as “the queen of the sciences” and indeed “the beautiful queen” not loved by many.
The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) under Professor Adewole Solarin is working hard to demystify this phobia and make Nigeria “a maths-loved” nation. He has already vowed that some Nigerian whiz kids he is currently grooming would dazzle the world in Mathematical competitions at the African Mathematics fiesta holding in Nigeria in July, 2013.
Solarin, the Director-General of National Mathematical Centre, Sheda, Abuja, was optimistic that Nigerian school children would break the Guinness Records in Rubik’s Cube, one of the competitions to be featured at the event, which would be a convergence of African Mathematicians, students inclusive on Nigeria under the auspices of African Congress of Mathematicians (PACOM).
A 12-Year-old Nigerian child, Master Samuel Chilaka demonstrated this last week at the zonal competition of Rubik’s Cube Competition in Abuja when he solved a puzzle in record 26.7 seconds. The event was held at Regina Pacis College, Abuja. Chilaka a JSS II student of International Model Academy, Abuja, who wants to become an Architect, in the future, was mystical and adept in his movement of the Cubes in resolving the game.
Another student, a 13-year-old, Dahiru Mohammed, from the same International Model Academy, said to be owned by the National Mathematical Centre, also dazzled at the event as he clinched the second position. He finished at 36.7 seconds while 11-year-old Girl of Regina Pacis College, emerged third with an average of 67.7 seconds.
The NMC boss while explaining the game, said “Rubik’s Cube is an internationally recognised game. It has been classified as one of the wonders of the modern world. It was invented in the late 70s by Rubik and since then, there have been international competitions all over the world because it is recognised as one of those things that can determine how gifted or how talented a child is”.
According to him, “if a child is able to master the solution of the Rubik’s Cube within a short time and then able to solve it within a short time, it shows that that child is actually intelligent”.
During the Mathematical fiesta, Nigeria would host the 2013 Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO) in which African students will compete to select Africa’s best student in mathematics.
The African Mathematical Union (AMU) in collaboration with the entire mathematics community in Nigeria, comprising National Mathematical Centre; Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN); Nigerian Mathematical Society and the government of Nigeria would also host a retinue of African mathematical Scientists and the rest of the mathematical world in a two-week conference to brain storm on how to use the subject to transform the continent.
In preparation towards ensuring the successful hosting of the event and to ascertain Nigeria’s readiness in terms of the provision of world class facilities for the hosting of the intellectual fiesta, the President of the African Mathematical Union (AMU), Professor Saliou Toure from Cote d’Ivoire was in Nigeria to inspect facilities in preparation for the arrival of guests and commencement of the congress and competition.
The theme of the Congress: “Contemporary Developments in the Mathematical Sciences as Tools for Scientific and Technological Transformation of Africa” was designed to deepen the understanding and practical application of Algebra and Number Theory, Real, Complex, Global and Functional Analysis as well as Probability, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematical Modelling, Mathematics Education and History of Mathematics to tackling Africa’s security and economic challenges.