Old Mutual Malawi Limited has declared the 2024/25 Old Mutual Mathematics Olympiad prize ceremony for March 3, 2025 at Mzuzu University campus. The competition has now reached its ninth edition where it gives awards to nation-wide top math students.
Old Mutual’s Marketing and Corporate Affairs Executive Patience Chatsika told Nyasa Times that the company invested MK34 million in the 2024/25 season while showing great anticipation for the prize ceremony. Old Mutual is fully committed to STEM education in Malawi through its flagship mathematical Olympiad which develops essential financial services sector talent.
We look forward to awarding prizes at long last to the students who achieved excellent results in the competition. The Old Mutual Mathematics Olympiad stands as our primary sponsorship commitment because we believe in advancing STEM education for Malawi’s development of financial services sector minds,” Chatsika explained.
According to Chatsika the role of mathematics as an essential subject runs essential for national advancement. The recent adjustment to academic standards matches industrial requirements but mathematics continues as the core subject for teaching analytical thinking while developing student leadership abilities and innovative thinking.
According to her the subject enables students to develop essential problem-solving skills and logical reasoning and creative abilities that drive national development, she added.
Under joint direction from Old Mutual and Mzuzu University Department of Mathematics and Statistics the Mathematics Olympiad provides annual challenges to nationwide senior-level secondary students for improving their problem-solving capabilities. Since 2015 the competition has expanded dramatically because student participation grew from 100 students in the first edition to more than 300 participants in current editions. The Olympiad has boosted female student participation in mathematics which led to the creation of the Best Female Student award for 2022.
Throughout its previous editions the competition has consistently developed remarkable mathematical talent. In both 2023 and 2024 Don Chikopa from Dedza Secondary School stood as the best mathematics student followed by Martin Master from Lunzu Secondary School who achieved first place during 2024. The Olympiad demonstrates how it helps discover natural mathematical abilities and develop them within Malawian youth.
