Zabzugu — After the roar of football fans that faded on Tuesday evening, Zabzugu awoke on Naa-Damba Wednesday morning to a different kind of excitement and that’s a battle of brains not of boots again. The Yelzoli Damba inter-school quiz competition brought together some of the district’s brightest students, turning knowledge, quick thinking, and tradition into the tools of victory.
As part of the 2025 Damba Festival, the Zabzugu Away From Home (ZAFHO) group, in collaboration with the Regent of Yelzoli, Tung-Lana Alhaji Muhammad Ibn Umar, staged a thrilling inter-school quiz contest. But this was no ordinary test of knowledge—it was the grand finale of a rigorous series that had whittled down the contenders to four of Zabzugu township’s finest schools: Tuvugu Junior High School, Zabzugu D/A Junior High School, Zabzugu Model Girls Junior High School, and Nuria E/A Junior High School.
The competition spanned four subject areas—Mathematics, English Language, General Knowledge, and Dagbon Culture. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as contestants took their seats, while peers and teachers watched intently, every question raising the stakes.
The opening round set the tone. Tuvugu JHS stormed into the lead with 16 points, while Nuria JHS and Zabzugu D/A JHS trailed closely behind at 14 points apiece. Zabzugu Model Girls JHS followed with 9 points. With every round, the tension deepened, and the final outcome remained uncertain until the very end.
But when the last question was asked and answered, Tuvugu JHS had pulled clear with an emphatic 39 points. Zabzugu D/A JHS claimed second place with 31.5 points, Zabzugu Model Girls JHS secured third with 25 points, while Nuria JHS settled for fourth with 21.5 points.
The champions did not leave empty-handed. Tuvugu JHS took home four packs of exercise books and four mathematical sets. Zabzugu D/A JHS received three packs of exercise books and four mathematical sets, Zabzugu Model Girls JHS collected two packs of exercise books and four mathematical sets, while Nuria JHS walked away with one pack of exercise books and four mathematical sets.
Yet the prizes were not the day’s greatest takeaway. Speaking on behalf of the District Director of Education, Mr. Issah Mohammed reminded students of the deeper purpose of the competition. He urged them to prioritize education and sounded a strong warning against the dangers of drug and substance abuse, which he described as a growing threat to the future of young people. He also commended ZAFHO for weaving education into the Damba Festival and appealed for similar initiatives to be extended to other areas of the educational sector.
Adding his voice, Mr. Yakubu Abdul-Majeed, Chairman of ZAFHO, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Education Service officials, the participating schools, the Regent of Yelzoli, and all who graced the occasion. He advised students to take their studies seriously, assuring them that with dedication they could achieve greatness. “The sky is your limit, and I strongly believe you can make it to the top if you remain committed to your education,” he said.
In the end, the quiz was about more than winning or losing. It was a celebration of learning, culture, and youthful potential. For Tuvugu Junior High School, their triumph was not just a victory on paper but a moment of pride for their teachers, their peers, and the wider Zabzugu District.
