Primetime reveals venue for 2023 ‘Science and Maths Quiz’ finale
Following the decision to launch this year’s National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) in the Ashanti region, Kumasi, the organizer of the competition, Primetime Limited says the grand finale of the 2023 NSMQ will be held in Accra.
In a social media post sighted by AcademicWeek, the organizer for the national contest said the 2023 edition of the Science and Mathematics competition will be launched on September 26, 2023, with preliminary stage balloting.
As part of the celebration of the National Science and Maths Quiz 30-year journey, Primetime Limited said the preliminary stage of the contest will begin from October 6 to 10, 2023 and October 11 to 13, 2023 for the One-eight stage.
Quarterfinals, Primetime stated will begin from October 15 to 17, 2023 with semifinals on October 19, 2023. The grand finale of the National Science and Mathematics competition the organizer indicated will be held on October 24, 2023.
How NSMQ started
It all happened on the tennis court of the University of Ghana, Legon. Mr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, then Managing Director of Primetime, was at the court to play the game after his own heart with his playmates, the late Professors Marian Ewurama Addy and Ebenezer Kweku Awotwe.
Mr Mensa-Bonsu was curious as to why birds could stand on a live electric wire without getting electrocuted, but human beings could not do the same.
From Prof. Awotwe’s explanation, Mr Mensa-Bonsu got the idea of putting together a quiz programme on science and maths. That is where it all began in 1993. Since then, the National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has seen 20 exciting editions.
When the quiz started, it involved only 32 schools across the country, and these were divided into the Northern Sector and Southern Sector, with 16 schools per sector. Winners in both sectors were then brought to Accra for the national championship. This format was changed after some six years.
Since then, schools drawn from all parts of Ghana have met in Accra to compete for the sought-after title. From 2000, the number of schools was increased to 40 and in 2013, the number of participating schools went up to 81, although 66 turned up for the competition.
The participation format was changed to three schools competing per contest, instead of two, as had been the case since the programme’s inception. To give the programme a truly national character, the quiz has since 2014 involved 135 schools from all parts of Ghana.
