The journey to this year’s NSMQ finals began long before the national spotlight. It started at KNUST’s Junior Science and Maths Quiz, where Stephen Apemah-Baah and John Kusi first learned how to compete, recover, and rise.
In 2021, a quiet but determined student from Good Shepherd R/C JHS in Kumasi walked into the KNUST Junior Science and Maths Quiz (JSMQ). His name was Stephen Kofi Apemah-Baah.
Then in JHS 2, he reached the semifinals before being eliminated by KNUST Basic.
He did not walk away discouraged. He came back stronger.
By JHS 3, Stephen returned with renewed resolve, dominated the contest and won the 2022 JSMQ.
But another storyline was emerging.
On December 5, 2022, during that year’s JSMQ semifinals, Stephen’s team faced Manna International led by John Kusi, a sharp and confident contender.
Manna International impressed, solving complex riddles and finishing with 25 points. But Stephen’s decisive response to a question on Charles Darwin helped push Good Shepherd to the finals and eventually to the championship.
John fell short, but not in spirit. Two future NSMQ finalists had been shaped: one in victory, the other in resolve.
From KNUST JSMQ to National Stages
In 2023, Stephen entered Opoku Ware School (OWASS) as a first-year student. Where most newcomers ease slowly into senior high school life, he stepped directly into national competition.
At just 16, he led OWASS to the NSMQ Grand Finale, becoming the first Form One student in the school’s history to do so. He returned to the national stage in 2024 and 2025, placing him among the few students to contest the NSMQ in three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the heartbreak of the JSMQ semifinals became John’s motivation. He learned from the loss, sharpened his technique, and rose to national prominence. Today, he stands on the same NSMQ final stage but this time as an equal force, not a challenger watching from the sidelines.
Why it matters
The KNUST Junior Science and Maths Quiz has proven to be more than a competition. It is a formative platform where confidence is tested, intellectual strategy is shaped, and future national contenders first take shape.
So Stephen and John reaching the NSMQ finals is no surprise. They have been here before: under the Great Hall lights and the pressure of the Allotey Auditorium, responding to rapid-fire questions from JSMQ stalwarts such as Dr. Labik, Prof. Sylverken, Dr. Abankwa, and Dr. Sallah.
NSMQ? As Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy said in Baafira, they’ve “seen many, many pass dis one.”
By: Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah
