In a resounding celebration of academic brilliance, St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, has emerged as the overall winner of the 2025 Cowbellpedia “Mega Minds” Championship—one of Nigeria’s most prestigious platforms for showcasing secondary school talents in Mathematics and STEM. The triumph marks a major milestone in the college’s long-standing tradition of excellence. With students from across the nation vying for top honours, St. Gregory’s stood out for its stellar performance, culminating in a well-deserved victory.
Cowbellpedia, originally launched in 1998 as the Cowbell National Secondary Mathematics Competition, was established to ignite a passion for mathematics among Nigerian students. In 2015, Promasidor Nigeria breathed new life into the initiative, introducing a dynamic two-stage structure that brought the competition to television screens nationwide. This year, the organisers took an even bolder step, evolving the contest into a full-fledged family game show.
Dubbed Mega Minds, the 2025 edition blended Mathematics, STEM, General Knowledge, puzzles, and games—creating a multidimensional challenge designed to test speed, accuracy, and intellectual versatility. Open to students aged 11 to 17 from both public and private secondary schools, the revamped format proved both thrilling and transformative. Over 20,000 students from more than 1,000 schools across Nigeria registered for the online Computer-Based Test held on February 24th, 2025. Only 132 contestants qualified for the televised stage of the competition. St. Gregory’s College registered 40 participants—20 each in the junior and senior categories—with all competitors hosted at Waterside Hotels, Lekki, courtesy of the organisers.
As the elimination rounds began, students faced off in an intense cerebral contest that quickly whittled the field down to 48 contenders—24 in each category. St. Gregory’s College proudly saw five of its students advance to the quarterfinals: two in the junior category and three in the senior. The quarterfinals proved decisive as four of those five Gregorians marched triumphantly into the semifinals. But the spotlight shone even brighter when the “Fame of Fortune” round was introduced—a rapid-fire bonus contest that awarded N250,000 to any contestant who could correctly answer four consecutive questions.
Rising to the occasion, Master Azike Kenechukwu (senior category) and Master Anyaeji Arthur (junior category) both clinched the prize, further cementing their reputations as academic powerhouses. The semifinals featured a showdown between Nigeria’s top secondary schools. In the junior category, St. Gregory’s College battled Ambassador’s College, Caleb British International School, and Welkin International School. Though Master Arthur Anyaeji narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, his tenacity and brilliance earned wide acclaim. The senior category finals proved to be the grand climax. Competing against formidable schools like Apt Scholars Universal College and Ambassador’s College, St. Gregory’s College delivered a standout performance.
Master Kenechukwu Azuike emerged as the overall winner, earning N5 million and an all-expenses-paid educational trip to Kenya. His command of Mathematics, STEM, and General Knowledge won the admiration of judges and viewers alike. Azuike’s story is one of consistency and growth. In 2023, he had represented St. Gregory’s in the junior category and secured third place along with a N3 million prize. His 2025 victory, therefore, is not just a personal triumph— it is the culmination of years of dedication, resilience, and refinement. The college’s win also earned it five brand-new laptops and a multimedia projector—valuable resources to fuel even more academic success in the future. St. Gregory’s College, under the spiritual guidance of its Proprietor, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, and the unwavering support of its management and staff, continues to raise the bar in academic excellence.
As the Cowbellpedia “Mega Minds” trophy finds its new home in Ikoyi, the school community gives thanks to God and looks forward to even greater accomplishments on the horizon. The triumph of St. Gregory’s College is more than a win—it is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young minds are nurtured, challenged, and inspired to excel.
