{"id":53742,"date":"2025-04-06T10:15:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T10:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/central-bank-schools-quiz-challenge-inspires-the-next-generation-of-economists\/"},"modified":"2025-04-06T10:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T10:14:46","slug":"central-bank-schools-quiz-challenge-inspires-the-next-generation-of-economists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/central-bank-schools-quiz-challenge-inspires-the-next-generation-of-economists\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Bank Schools Quiz Challenge inspires the next generation of economists"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This year\u2019s edition, the NBR Schools Quiz Challenge saw an impressive 44 schools from across the country compete in a two months-long challenge, culminating in a thrilling grand finale on April 2, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>After intense rounds of intellectual face-offs, St Ignatius High School from Kigali emerged victorious, followed closely by College du Christ Roi from Nyanza District. <\/p>\n<p>The two schools were crowned at the Central Bank headquarters in Kigali after advancing through regional selections, quarter-finals, and semi-finals that began in February.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the  Grande Finale, on Wednesday April 2, 2025, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, Soraya M. Hakuziyaremye, emphasized the competition\u2019s broader mission beyond just trophies and certificates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough this challenge, we aim to demystify our work but also give tools to better understand economic indicators and the economic decisions that affect your daily lives,\u201d she said. \u201cWe believe that financial literacy is a form of empowerment that helps build a stronger and more informed generation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Governor Hakuziyaremye underscored that the initiative is about sowing seeds of curiosity and ambition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeyond simplifying complex economic ideas, this is about planting seeds,\u201d she added. \u201cWe want to spark a deeper interest in economics and finance, and nurture the next generation of Rwandan economists and policymakers. Of course, we also hope some of today\u2019s finalists will one day join the National Bank of Rwanda as future central bankers,\u201dshe noted.<\/p>\n<p>The competition not only highlighted the brilliance of students but also the vital role of educators. The Governor extended her gratitude to teachers and school leaders for their unwavering support throughout the rounds.<\/p>\n<p>St Ignatius High School was awarded the champion&#8217;s trophy and certificate, while each student received a laptop and FRW 400,000, to be invested in government securities by the Central Bank. Runners-up College du Christ Roi received a trophy and certificate as well, with each student also receiving a laptop and FRW 200,000 for investment in government securities.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers who accompanied students through the competition from both schools were also rewarded\u2014FRW 400,000 and 300,000 respectively\u2014to be similarly invested.<\/p>\n<p>Minister of Education, Joseph Nsengimana, who attended the NBR Schools Quiz Challenge Grange Finale, lauded the initiative and congratulated all participants for their dedication and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe work that has been done and the interest that\u2019s being generated across the country\u2014it\u2019s remarkable,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of the questions were so challenging, These students have truly impressed me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is one way of encouraging the students to take interest in various sectors of the economy and also to encourage them to pursue their studies so that they can contribute to the development of the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Minister also took a moment to recognize the efforts of all participating schools.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were many schools that didn\u2019t make it to the final stage, but in truth, they are all winners. They&#8217;ve expanded their knowledge, gained insight into Rwanda\u2019s economic framework, and grown in ways that matter,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n<p>Among the students, the excitement and inspiration were palpable. Lauren Keza, 18, from the winning team at St Ignatius High School, shared how the experience reaffirmed her academic aspirations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis BNR Schools quiz challenge was a great motivation for me as an economics student,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helped me understand more about how my central bank works and really made me want to study economics even further. I hope to one day work with BNR,\u201d she said, also commending the awards as a motivation for them to learn better. <\/p>\n<p>The competition began on February 10 with preliminary rounds across all provinces, followed by the quarterfinals and semi-finals held on March 12. <\/p>\n<p>With minds sharpened and aspirations sparked, the BNR Schools Quiz Challenge continues to stand as a powerful symbol of how education, when aligned with national goals, can shape the next generation of leaders.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84940\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/students_from_college_du_christ_roi_emerged_the_second_in_the_nbr_school_challenge_competition_.jpg\" alt=\"Students from College du Christ Roi emerged the second in the NBR School Challenge competition \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84939\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/saint_ignatius_high_school_students_celebrate_after_winning_nbr_school_quiz_challenge__.jpg\" alt=\"Saint Ignatius High School students celebrate after winning NBR School Quiz Challenge. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84938\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/offici_1.jpg\" alt=\"officials take group photo with students and teachers from both St Ignatius and College du Christ Roi after the Grande Finale of NBR School Quiz Challenge \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84937\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/nbr_judges_during_the_competition_.jpg\" alt=\"NBR Judges during the competition \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84936\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/minsiter_of_education_joseph_nsengimana_speaks_during_nbr_school_quiz_challenge_.jpg\" alt=\"Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana speaks during NBR School Quiz Challenge \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84935\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/governor_soraya_m._hakuziyaremye_speaks_during_the_grande_finale_of_nbr_school_quiz_challenge_competition__.jpg\" alt=\"Governor Soraya M. Hakuziyaremye speaks during the Grande Finale of NBR School Quiz Challenge Competition. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84934\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/centra_1.jpg\" alt=\"Central Bank Deputy Governor Dr Justin Nsengiyumva, Governor Soraya M. Hakuziyaremye and Minister Joseph Nsengimana chat shortly after NBR School Quiz Challenge in Kigali\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has concluded its annual Schools Quiz Challenge, a vibrant initiative aimed at promoting financial literacy and economic awareness among Rwanda\u2019s youth. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000084933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000084933,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/offici_1.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000084933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53742"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53742"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}