By Chesa Chesa
A 15-year-old student of Metro International School, Abuja, Khaira Ojima Bala, has emerged winner of the 16th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, securing a N15 million educational grant.
Bala was announced overall winner at the grand finale of the competition held on Tuesday at UBA House, Marina, Lagos, where 20 finalists drawn from secondary schools across Nigeria competed for the top prizes.
The N15 million grant will enable her to pursue university education at any institution of her choice in Africa.
Expressing excitement over her victory, Bala dedicated the award to her parents, acknowledging their sacrifices towards her education.
“I am so happy right now. My parents have sacrificed so much for my education, and this award belongs to them as much as it belongs to me.
“I also want to thank the UBA Foundation for believing in young people like me and giving us a platform to share our ideas,” she said.
Unwanabasi Otobon Udom of Topfaith International Secondary School emerged second and received N10 million, while Flourish Chibunumoma Ndamzi of University of Port Harcourt Women Association International Secondary School came third, winning N7.5 million.
God’sfavour Ezekiel Udo of Federal Government Girls College, Ikot Obio Itong, and Uchenna Olivia Anyanwu of Coral Impacts International School, Abuja, finished fourth and fifth, receiving N5 million and N3.5 million, respectively.
The 20 finalists emerged from more than 15,000 entries submitted by senior secondary school students nationwide.
This year’s competition focused on the theme: “No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?”
As part of the programme, the finalists participated in a one-day writing boot camp with the judges to further sharpen their writing and analytical skills.
The total educational grants for this year’s competition amounted to N41 million, representing an 82 per cent increase from the N22.5 million awarded in the previous edition.
The increase followed the expansion of the number of prize winners from three to five, alongside an upward review of the individual awards.
Beyond the cash prizes, all 20 finalists received modern laptops to support their academic work and research. Their UBA accounts were also credited with N20,000 each as a gesture from the bank’s Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba.
Speaking at the event, Alawuba congratulated the finalists, describing them all as winners and urging them to regard their participation as evidence of what hard work, commitment and curiosity could achieve.
He encouraged the students to remain focused on their education and continue developing their intellectual abilities.
