Accra, Sept. 29, GNA - The British Council, in partnership with Tigo, a telecommunication network, on Thursday outdoored 11 contestants for the "Challenge

Season III Television Reality Show" in Accra. They are Nana Kusi Yeboah, Rhoda Omari, Benjamin Anyan, Naa Ayerley Romey, Eric

Akomanyi, Ophilia Nyamekye, Elsie Attieku-Auku, Irene Migbordzie, Sefakor Agbesi, Eric

Frimpong Amponsah and Majirie Myers. The challenge is an educational reality show that seeks to encourage and reward

academic excellence, creativity and a passion for continuous professional leadership

development in the Ghanaian Youth. Mr Moses Anibaba, Director of British Council, said winners in the competition would

be awarded full scholarship to study in two prestigious universities in the UK, University of

Westminster and Robert Gordon University and other packages. He expressed gratitude to the sponsors for believing in their idea of championing

academic excellence in the growth and development of the youth. Mr Clement Kofi Humado, the Minister of Youth and Sports, said the youth represented

the future, therefore timely and effective investment in them was key to making their

future prosperous both economically and socially. He said given the right combination of motivation, ideas and opportunities, the youth

were more than able to establish productive and creative business. Mr Humado said the show presented a unique opportunity to the youth to harness

their innovation and leadership skills into creative engagements that are challenging,

rewarding and exciting. Mr Humado called on the contestants to focus on originality, experience, learning

aspects, exposure, positive cognitive development and opportunities the challenge offered. He explained that government appreciated and encouraged the participation of the

private sector and corporate institutions towards national development. Mr Humado said government was working through the Ministries, Departments and

Agencies towards increased youth participation in the mainstream economy, increased

youth income through skills development and promoting youth entrepreneurship. He commended the contestants for reaching this far and wished them the best of luck in their future endeavours.

Mr Femi Banigbe, Chief Technical Officer, Tigo, said management was proud to associate itself with the event, noting that they were contributing their quota to national development.

He said the future of the country was secured, looking at the aggregat= e of talent exhibited by the youth on whose shoulders the leadership of the country would rest in future. Mr Banigbe called on other corporate institutions to support the idea of promoting academic excellence in the development of the youth. Initially, the contestants were 12 but the first contestant was evicted on September 27.