SENIOR secondary students who are good at essay writing could be millionaires as UBA Foundation announces a whopping sum of N2.3m for winners of 2013 National Essay Competition.
Ijeoma Aso, Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, announced the call for entries at a press conference held on Thursday at the bank’s head office in Lagos.
She said that all senior secondary school students across the country are eligible to participate in the competition.
“The three best essayists are selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the first round of the competition. The first, second and third prize winners will receive N1 million, N750,000 and N500,000 respectively in educational grants.”
“The essay contest is aimed at complementing UBA Foundation’s Read Africa Initiative which is also part of the Foundation’s efforts in arresting the falling standard of education on the continent.
“The essay is to encourage healthy and intellectual competition among secondary school students in Nigeria.”
Aso who noted that the initiative which started in 2011 with 719 entries, increased in 2012 having 2,281 said “this year, we expect to receive more than 4000 entries for the competition.”
Entries close by November 1, 2013 and no late entry will be accepted.
The CEO explained that eligible senior secondary students are expected to send in handwritten entries on the topic How Reading has Impacted my Knowledge to the UBA Foundation’s office in Lagos till the end of October, 2013 when entries close.
The Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA Plc, Mr. Charles Aigbe said the essay competition falls within the four focus areas of the Foundation; education, economic empowerment, environment and special project.
According to him, the Bank’s CSR projects are geared towards promoting sustainable development in communities where UBA operates across Africa.
“The competition is a key aspect of our investment drive in human capital and we will continue to sustain the exercise. Education is very strategic to us as an institution. Each year, we also donate books to students in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, under the Read Africa initiative to encourage and promote the reading culture in secondary schools,” he stated.
Representative of the judges’ panel and Head of Department, Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye noted that the essay competition demonstrates UBA Plc’s commitment to development of Nigeria’s educational sector.
