Bells University Wins Computer Programming Contest

First Prize winners and students of The Bells University, Ota,  Ogun State, holding their certificates, with their Vice-Chancellor (second row), Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, left; Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike; the Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i; Director General, National Mathematical Centre, Prof. Sam Ale; with other officials, at the presentation of medals and certificates to winners of the Nigerian Universities Computer Programming Contest in Abuja…Monday




The Bells University of Technology Ota, Ogun State, has won this year’s Nigeria Universities/Polytechnics Computer Programming Contest, organised by the National Mathematical Centre (NMC).


It beat the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna and Covenant University, Ota to second and third places respectively, out of the 21 universities and polytechnics that participated in the competition. They were required to answer five algorithm questions in four hours.


Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, who decorated the winners with their medals, said, congratulated them and the organisers, saying, she would like to see every university offering Computer Science or related courses embracing the contest in subsequent editions.


Director-General of NMC, Prof. Sam Ale, explained that the Association of Computing Machinery Internal Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM-ICPC) is an annual multi-tiered computer programming competition, which began in 1970 at the Texas A & M University, for teams from the United States and Canada.


It has since grown to become a worldwide event, sponsored by IBM, headquartered at Baylor University and with autonomous regions on six continents. No fewer than 88 countries participated in the competition in 2008, a year after Nigeria joined the fold.
He appealed for more financial support from government and the private sector to keep the competition going, a request that was granted by the minister.


Vice Chancellor of the Bells, Prof. Isaac Adebayo Adeyemi expressed satisfaction that his institution has been among the top three in the country in the last four years. It came third in 2008 and second in 2009. The two teams it presented last year also came first and second.


“This is an indication of the quality of teaching and materials available to our students, the discipline and dedication of the students and their innate ability to deliver because this goes beyond their class work. While congratulating contestants in this year’s event, Ale expressed sadness that no Nigerian team has qualified for the finals of the world event. It is also a testimony that the decision to have private universities is a good one”, the Vice-Chancellor said.