By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye
When the Watchman Youth and Children Ministry announced in 2024 that it was unveiling a project known as the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia, not a few wondered what they really meant by that. But as it turned out, they had set up some mouth-watering prizes for the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (WCCRM) youths between the ages of 15 and 18 who would distinguish themselves by excelling in a quiz competition based on the Bible.
The competition would start in the various Watchman dioceses and
those who emerge the top winners would come to Lagos for the final stage which
would see the overall winner go home with a million naira, while the first
runner-up would be given N700, 000 and the person who took the third position
would get N500, 000. They would also be given a tablet (iPad) each.
And it happened just that way, igniting widespread excitement and enthusiasm among the youths (and even adults) towards the programme. The Youth Ministry was emphatic that the cash awards would be deployed to finance the academic pursuits and other forms of empowerment of these youths. It closely supervises their use to ensure that this objective is achieved. This it meticulously ensured in the first edition of the competition the previous year and have equally sustained the practice with this second edition of the programme which ended a few months ago. The remaining five finalists go home with N150, 000 consolation prize each.
Between the 17th and 30th of August, 2025, contestants from the various dioceses were in Lagos again for the second edition of the programme. This time, they were joined by contestants from Ghana and Benin Republic. The Watchman News visited their lodging place and was impressed to hear some of them who had participated the previous year confessing that even though they did not win the star prizes, the teachings and spiritual exercises they were made to undergo at the camp affected their lives very significantly. They were so excited to be part of the programme.
An analyst told the Watchman News that he sees the programme as a major revolution in the Watchman.
“Imagine a programme that would make the youths devour the whole Bible as if
they are preparing for a very important examination. You can imagine the impact
such an exercise would register on the youth’s spiritual life, even if he or
she did not win any prize,” he said.
After an intense session on the final day of the competition with Mr. Val Okafor as the “Quiz Master”, Miss Chioma Chukwudi from Onitsha Diocese of the Watchman emerged the overall winner, closely followed by Miss Divine Ekpaha from Uyo Diocese and then Master Christopher Ebubechukwu from Lagos Diocese.
A visibly impressed
Diocesan Overseer of Lagos, Pastor Protase Opara, stepped forward to the podium
with his wife, Mrs. Jewel Opara, to present the star prize of One Million Naira
to the winner. He told the contestants that by participating in the exercise,
they were all winners.
It was such a happy occasion as the winners took away their prizes cheered and celebrated by the happy audience comprising some Watchman pastors, parents of the finalists, representatives from the various dioceses and other Watchmen and supporters.
The National Director of
the Youth and Children Ministry and Producer of the show, Mrs. Carllister
Ejinkeonye, told the Watchman News that “the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia, is a
journey,” she is “very happy to embark upon.”
According to her, “Many of our youths could be seen now as ‘walking Bibles’, studying and discussing the Scriptures, discovering things they never knew were in God's Word. In fact many of them were surprised that they could sit down to read some of the Old Testament books they had been reluctant to open before.”
“It was glorious!” she continued. “Spiritual teachings, career and entrepreneurship seminars by professionals, guidance and counselling sessions were all arranged for them during this period with the aim of having them well prepared for the life ahead…”
“It was thrilling to follow through to the end to see the winners emerge. Let's be on the lookout when the show will be aired on TV and other approved platforms…,” Mrs. Ejinkeonye said.
According to her, “right now,” their minds are set on Season Three of the competition.”
“The youths are excited and eagerly waiting; many have set out strategies on how to study their Bibles deeply. All the Youth Ministry is asking is for more Watchmen to buy into this vision and mission and support us to make Season Three of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia a reality,” she said.
Mrs. Ejinkeonye thanked the General Superintendent of the Watchman, Pastor A.C. Ohanebo, for giving his blessing to the project, the Diocesan Pastors for their support and the several other Watchmen whose support and encouragement have continued to fire their resolve to sustain the programme. She also appreciated the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia team for their special dedication and hard work that made the programme a success.
Pastor Emeka Onuchukwu doubles as the patron of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia Project and the Executive Producer Lamp and Light Bible Trivia Show. He told Watchman News that his interest in the project was motivated by the awareness that “the greatest gift to the world is light” and that the “Word of God is the Light of the world.”
“I believe that as we make our children to study God's Word, we are establishing them in the light. Surely their path in life will be bright. They will prosper in all their ways. This is my conviction for supporting the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. Let there be light!” he said.
Also, speaking to the Watchman News, Mr. Paul Igwe who directed the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia averred that the show has remained “a powerful and engaging tool for spiritual growth, especially among the youth.” According to him, it “combines fun, learning and healthy competition to deepen Biblical knowledge, encourages the retention of the Scriptures in the memory of these youths” and “builds confidence and love for the Word of God in a generation that needs strong spiritual foundations.”
Watchman News also reached out to Pastor Ethelbert Obi, the Project Coordinator of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. He is of the view that the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia is reawakening the interest of youth in the Bible and godliness and redirecting their interest from the world back to God.
“Planning the show,” he said “started in October 2023 and the first season was aired in 2024 with great success…” According to him, “lives have been transformed, youths have been financially empowered, and, most importantly, their knowledge of the Bible has deepened,” as a result of participating in the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia.
In a review of the two editions of Lamp and Light Bible Trivia held so far (published here), an assistant project coordinator and associate producer of the show, Mrs. Chinwengozi Nnabuihe-Okoro, stated that the term, Lamp and Light, was “taken from Psalm 119:105.”
“Watching that light shine through the competitive spirit of our community has been a true privilege,” she said.
She added that the show “has evolved into a cornerstone of our participants’ spiritual engagements, proving that the study of Scriptures can be as exhilarating as it is transformative.”
Pastor Sunday Balogun, a training supervisor of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia is happy to report that the last two editions “witnessed a tremendous success as lives have been greatly transformed in the Bible Camps held [for the participating] youths] in the last two years.
According to Pastor Balogun, it was indeed encouraging that teens “left the camps with eyes off the trophy but glued to the Scriptures." "
So many
wept bitterly”, not because they were evicted and so could not clinch any
prize, “but for missing the Scripture fellowship due to the intense spiritual
hunger the camp had achieved in them," he said.
Despite looming challenges, the organizers are poised to execute an even more successful show with the "Season 3" of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. They are confident that given the resounding impact of the two editions held so far, more people would be eager to invest in this project that is aimed at achieving the spiritual reclamation of the youths in this fast decaying age and deepening of emphasis on the eternal Word of God as a great panacea to the many debilitating challenges many people, especially, the younger generation, is grappling with.
*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, a journalist and writer, contributed this story to the Watchman News (scruples2006@yahoo.com)
Lamp and light is a not only a bible quiz competition, but a life transformational exercise!
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