One hundred and one SS3 students in Lagos State public and private schools today participated in the second stage examinations as this year’s edition of PZ Cussons Carex Chemistry Challenge 2015 approaches the final round.

The top four students in the second round, which held at Immaculate Heart Senior Secondary School, Maryland, will qualify for the grand finale scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2015.

Six schools had all their two candidates each scaling the first stage hurdle, which had thousands of candidates writing the examination in 10 centres across Lagos State. The schools are Cardoso Senior High School, Sango Senior Secondary School, Vetland Senior Grammar School, Top Grade Secondary School, International School of Lagos and The African Church Model College, Ifako.

The top four candidates for the grand prize of N700,000 cash, a laptop and other gifts for the competition, which is in its third year.

The Stage 1 examination last Saturday lasted about an hour. The process was witnessed and moderated by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Education with the Nigeria Police providing security.

Clutching their gifts items from the sponsor, the students expressed high hope of scaling the hurdles up to the final stage. Rhoda Adesanya, an SS3 student of Royal Eagle International College, Ijegun, expressed optimism of progressing to the next round and commended the organisers or encouraging the study of Chemistry. “The competition gives me a broader knowledge of Chemistry and it encourages me to read wider,” she said.

At Awori-Ajeromi Senior Grammar School, Agboju, Mrs Titilayo Efekodo of the Lagos State Ministry of Education for District V, described the processes as well structured and thanked PZ Cussons for a job well done.

Apart from the ultimate prize, the first to third runners-ups will win laptops and cash prizes ranging from N300,000 to N500,000, while Teachers and Schools of the top four contestants will also be rewarded with cash prizes and Chemistry books.

An initiative of PZ Cussons Foundation, the 2015 edition of the PZCCC is sponsored by Carex, a brand of PZ Cussons.

PZ Cussons Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc. It started the competition last year.