Faith Odunsi, a Nigerian student who won a global math tournament, beating China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and others, has cemented her place in history.
Odunsi, the winner of the Global Open Mathematics competition, excelled in all stages of the competition and didn’t expect she’d be declared the winner until the last round, when she answered more questions than her competitors.
She is currently in her last year of secondary school at the Ambassadors School in Ota, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.
Here are some things you should know about the math genius who is raising the African continent’s flag high.
1. Faith Odunsi solved 19 mathematics questions in 60 seconds, becoming the best candidate in the 2021 mathematics competition.
2. She took part in the Global Open Mathematics Tournament, an international competition with participants from Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Australia where she scored top marks, beating every other nation.
3. In 2018, Odunsi received a Record Holder Award for the highest number of questions answered on Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show which is a Nigerian national mathematics television quiz show where she answered 19 mathematical questions in 60 seconds.
4. The first stage and second stages of the competition were computer-based tests and Faith scored 66 marks each in both stages. The quarter and semi-finals were on Microsoft Teams where the first to put in the correct answers got 10 points.
5. Faith is a 15-year-old SS3 student from Ijebu in Ogun State who attends Ambassadors Schools, Ota, where she was made an ambassador.
6. Faith won the competition with 40 points while the first runner up had 10 points.
7. In 2018 when she set a record in the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition by answering 19 questions in 60 seconds.
8. Faith has also participated in several other competitions including the national Olympiad which she has been doing since she was in JSS2 and was made the Queen of Mathematics from JSS3 to SS2.
9. She has also taken part in the South African Mathematics Olympiad where she received medals.
10. Odunsi also participated in the Kangourou Sans Frontieres, American Mathematics Competition and Pan-African mathematics Olympiad where she also received a silver medal.
Her feat at the Global Open Mathematics Competition sparked commendations from across the continent and prompted the Governor of Ogun State Dapo Abiodun to honour the 15-year-old student of Ambassadors School, Ota.
She was honoured alongside other indigenes of the state; Olasukanmi Opeifa, Oluyemisi Oladejo and Olalekan Adeeko, who have won academic laurels in different fields.
Opeifa, one of the 10 finalists for 2020 Global Teacher Prize, teaches English Language at Government Day Secondary School, Karu-Abuja, but hails from Igbogila in Yewa North Local Council. Oladejo, a teacher with Oronna High School, Ilaro, is the first prize-winner for the 2020 African Writer’s Award, while Adeeko from Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, won the 2020 African Union Continental Teacher Prize.
