May 2025

The Quiz Mistresses’ Legacy: NSMQ’s Iconic Voices Since 1993

Since its inception in 1993, the National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has become a platform for STEM advocacy and a symbol of national pride. At the heart of this transformative journey are the remarkable women who have served as Quiz Mistresses, each bringing intellect, poise and purpose to the contest. Their contributions have upheld the integrity of the competition and also profoundly influenced girls’ schools and young women across Ghana, nurturing dreams of STEM careers and shattering gender stereotypes.

Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy: A Trailblazer and the First Face of NSMQ

The journey began with the late Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Ghana, who became the NSMQ’s first Quiz Mistress in 1993. As the founding face of the competition, she laid the foundation for what would become a national programme. Her academic brilliance and commanding presence sent a powerful message to girls across the country to purse science and maths.

Prof. Addy’s tenure lasted until 2000. In a landscape where women in STEM were underrepresented, she embodied what was possible. Her impact still resonates and her legacy lives on through the Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy Award for Best Team, instituted in 2015 by Mr. Bubune Adih, NSMQ 1999 Champion, in honour of his mentor, Professor Marian Ewurama Addy.

The late Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, the first quiz mistress of the NSMQ

Dr Eureka Emefa Adomako

In 2001, the mantle was passed to Dr Eureka Emefa Adomako, now a respected academic and environmentalist. She moderated the competition until 2005, continuing the tradition of excellence and fairness established by her predecessor. Her presence on the NSMQ stage sustained the representation of female leadership in science, reinforcing the message that women belong in STEM spaces—not only as students but also as experts and arbiters of knowledge.

Her intellectual depth provided a different, yet equally empowering, image for young girls to emulate.

Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann

In 2006, Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences and Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana, assumed the role of Quiz Mistress for the NSMQ.

Prof. Kaufmann’s presence is iconic. With her sharp intellect, warm composure and exacting standards, she has become a household name, especially among girls in STEM. Her commitment to fairness, excellence and mentorship has inspired countless young women to aim higher. Beyond moderating, she has become a symbol of female academic leadership, representing what years of dedication, education and passion can achieve.

Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann

The Supporting Quiz Mistresses

With the expansion of the competition, particularly at the preliminary and one-eighth stages, new female moderators joined the NSMQ family in 2020, reinforcing the programme’s intentional focus on female representation.

Dr Gladys Odey Schwinger: Dr Mrs Gladys Odey Schwinger is a Lecturer with the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology at the University of Ghana, Legon. She holds a PhD in Environmental Science, a Master of Philosophy degree in Botany, and a Bachelor of Science degree, also in Botany. She is passionate about nature conservation, generally, with specific interests in the Ecology and Ethnobotany of medicinal plants. Her current research interests include Ecological Niche Modelling, Phytochemistry, Biogeography, and activity of Ghanaian medicinal plants on Disease-causing Microbes.

Dr Mrs Gladys Odey Schwinger

Dr Thelma Ohene-Agyei: Dr Thelma Ohene-Agyei is currently a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Legon. Her research interests cover Pharmacotherapy of Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance, as well as Innovations in Pharmacy Education and Practice. She graduated with B. Pharm (Pharmacy) and M. Phil (Pharmacology) degrees from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. She also has a PhD. in Pharmacology from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Dr Thelma Ohene-Agyei

Dr Anita Adjoa Oppong: Dr Anita Adjoa Oppong, a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Ghana and a former NSMQ contestant who represented Ghana National College in 2005, brings a unique and inspiring perspective. Her journey from the contestant podium to the moderator’s seat, now serving as Quiz Mistress for the National Championship from the Preliminary Stage to the One-eighth Stage, is a powerful testimony to the impact of the NSMQ in shaping career paths and reinforcing the value of representation.

Dr Anita Adjoa Oppong,

These women, with their varied expertise in pharmacy, botany, chemistry and biomedical engineering, underscore the message that the sciences are diverse, dynamic and welcoming to women.

Inspiring a Generation of Girls

Primetime’s consistent policy of appointing female scientists as Quiz Mistresses has been a bold and purposeful strategy. It has inspired confidence among female students and encouraged schools to invest more in training girls for the competition. Girls’ schools such as Wesley Girls’ High School, Aburi Girls’ SHS, Holy Child School, St. Louis SHS, Archbishop Porter Girls’ SHS, Mfantsiman Girls’ SHS and Krobo Girls’ SHS have all proudly represented at various stages of the NSMQ, just to mention a few. Seeing themselves reflected at the highest levels of the competition, these schools have stepped up, and year after year, they come closer to claiming the championship.

As the NSMQ continues to grow, so does its influence. With a new generation of girls rising through the ranks, supported by dedicated teachers, proud alumni and inspiring role models like the Quiz Mistresses, the dream of a girls’ school lifting the trophy is no longer a distant aspiration but a tangible and imminent reality.

The NSMQ Story: From a Spark of Curiosity to a National Legacy

The idea for producing a science-based quiz programme aimed at encouraging the study of the sciences was sparked unexpectedly on the tennis court of the University of Ghana, Legon. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon in March 1993 when Dr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, then Managing Director of Primetime Limited, went to enjoy a game of tennis with his regular playmate—the late Professor Ebenezer Kweku Awotwe, a Professor of Animal Science.

As they took a break, Dr Mensa-Bonsu’s attention was drawn to birds perching freely on live electric wires, seemingly unaffected by the current. Driven by curiosity, he asked why birds could do so without harm, while humans risked electrocution. Prof. Awotwe explained that birds are not electrocuted because they do not create a circuit for electricity to flow, thanks to their physiology and the way they interact with the wire.

The late Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, the first quiz mistress of the NSMQ

That moment of casual inquiry blossomed into something far greater. Inspired by the scientific explanation behind such an everyday phenomenon, Dr Mensa-Bonsu envisioned a platform where the wonders of science and mathematics could be brought to life for students and the general public alike. It would be more than just a quiz—it would foster a culture of inquiry, learning, and national pride. By April 1993, he had drafted a proposal for a science and maths quiz programme and presented it to Lever Brothers, producers of the then-popular Brillant soap. They agreed to sponsor what was initially called the Brillant Science and Maths Quiz.

To bring the idea to fruition, Dr Mensa-Bonsu reached out to a trusted friend, the late Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, who became the first quiz-mistress and the face of the programme. He further enlisted the support of subject consultants, including Professor Awotwe (Biology), Professor William Asomaning (Chemistry), and Dr Douglas Adu-Gyamfi (Mathematics), to craft rigorous, curriculum-based questions.

Dr Mensa-Bonsu then approached the Ghana Education Service (GES), where he met with Mr Alexander Narh Tettey-Enyo, then Director for Secondary Education. With GES’s support, 16 senior high schools were selected to participate in the first edition. The schools were grouped into Northern and Southern Sectors. By September 1993, the balloting had been conducted, and in October of that same year, the first contests took place.

In his interview on the NSMQ Live Chat held on April 30, 2025, Dr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu reminisced about some of the most memorable moments that have shaped the National Science & Maths Quiz over the years. He recounted a particularly tense contest between Aburi Girls’ SHS and GSTS, during which the headmistress of Aburi Girls expressed strong reservations about the pairing, fearing her students would not be able to match the prowess of GSTS. To her astonishment and delight, however, Aburi Girls emerged victorious.

Dr Mensa-Bonsu also recalled how Kpando SHS stunned spectators by defeating the heavily favoured Bishop Herman College, and how Pope John’s SHS pulled off an unforgettable triumph over Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, Legon (PRESEC-Legon). These episodes, he noted, speak to the spirit of determination and unpredictability that have come to define the NSMQ.

Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann has served as the quiz mistress since 2006, overseeing the contest from the quarter-final stage to the grand finale.

Throughout these formative years, the programme encountered both triumphs and trials. When Lever Brothers ended their sponsorship in 1998, the name of the programme was changed to the National Science & Maths Quiz. It was then sponsored by Amstel Malta (Ghana Breweries Ltd) until 2001. Sponsorship continued under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) from 2002 to 2008.

However, between 2009 and 2011, the programme faced significant financial difficulties. In 2009, with no sponsors, Primetime Ltd had to self-finance the production and broadcast. This unsustainable model led to a two-year hiatus in 2010 and 2011. The overwhelming public demand for the quiz’s return motivated Primetime to engage the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), which then lobbied GES to allow a levy on SHSs to fund the programme. Thanks to this effort, the NSMQ returned in 2012.

The revival brought significant growth. In 2014, the number of participating schools rose to 135, up from 81 in 2013 and 40 in 2012. In 2023, the NSMQ welcomed private senior high schools to the fold, and in 2024, a record-breaking 157 schools took part in the National Championship.

In recent years, the torch has been passed on to the current Managing Director of Primetime Ltd, Nana Akua Mensa-Bonsu. Her leadership has transformed the NSMQ, bringing it into the digital era through the use of technology and social media, which has greatly expanded the programme’s reach and relevance.

“I didn’t have the benefit of technology in my time, but I’m proud of how she has taken it to a whole new level, with fresh ideas each year.” Dr Mensa-Bonsu remarked.

Today, the National Science & Maths Quiz is not merely a competition—it is a national celebration of academic excellence and STEM innovation. It brings together schools, alumni, traditional leaders, policy makers, and Corporate Ghana, capturing the imagination of the nation year after year. From a spark of curiosity on a tennis court to a powerful educational movement, the NSMQ has firmly established itself as an enduring symbol of brilliance in Ghana’s academic landscape.