UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of pan-African bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the winners of its 2014 National Essay Competition in a ceremony held at UBA House, Today, Monday, December 15, 2014.
UBA Foundation Essay Competition: First Prize Winner and Student of Maverick College, Ibadan, Miss Fabelurin Fehintoluwa (middle) flanked by 2 nd Prize winner and Student of Saint Thomas Secondary School, Kano, Master, Obi Chukwudum and 3 rd Prize winner and Student of Dority International Secondary School, Aba, Master Sunday Ikemsinachi during the grand finale of UBA Foundation National Essay Competition for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigerian, held at UBA House, Lagos on Monday.
Fiftee n year old Fabelurin Fehintoluwa of Maverick College, Ibadan, Oyo State emerged winner of the coveted prize of a N1 million educational grant to attend any university of her choice in Africa. The grant becomes effective immediately she gains admission to the university.
Other winners include; 16 year old Obi Daniel Chukwudum of St. Thomas Secondary School, Kano, Kano, who emerged first runner-up and winner of N750, 000 education grant to any university of his choice in Africa, while the second runner-up was 15-year old Sunday Kenneth Ikemsinachi of Dority International Secondary School, Aba, Abia State. He also won a N500, 000 education grant to study in any African University of his choice.
The three winners emerged after 12 finalists were invited from a total of nearly 2000 entries to write a final essay competition at the UBA Head Office in Lagos from which three emerged overall winners. All 12 finalists were also given certificates and brand new laptops to help them in their studies.
Speaking at the award ceremony for the finalists, Kennedy Uzoka, Deputy Managing Director and CEO of UBA Africa congratulated the finalists for the excellent entries. He said that UBA takes pride in the national essay competition because it stimulates intellectual competition among African youths.
Explaining why the educational grants are tenable in only African universities, he said that it is because UBA is a proud pan-African bank that sees the huge potentials offered by the continent. He charged the grantees to be good ambassadors of the bank as the “grant is subject to good behavior .”
Ijeoma Aso, MD/CEO UBA Foundation while praising the quality of entries received for this year’s competition congratulated all the 12 finalists of the competition.
“You should be happy you made it to this point because it shows that the quality of your entry was good. I will encourage all those who do not win this year, to try again next year. It shows persistence when you do not give up.”
She cited the example of the second runner-up in this year’s competition that had tried last year but failed to win, as a good example to follow.
Apollos Ikpobe, Deputy Managing Director Domestic Bank, UBA Plc, who was also at the event, charged the students, in a highly motivational speech, to set a vision for themselves on what they want to achieve in life. Using examples of successful enterprenuers like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Mr. Tony Elumelu, he tasked the students to see beyond the current challenges and set a vision for themselves and work towards that vision.
The UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, which is open to all students of Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria, is a follow up on the Foundation’s Read Africa Initiative and aims at providing a competitive platform to develop the intellectual and writing abilities of senior secondary school students in Nigeria.
The competition has been held annually since 2011 with students being challenged to write on different engaging topics. This year, students were asked to write on the topic “Is Social Media a safe place to make friends?” The 12 finalists emerged from the nearly 2,000 entries received from students across the three geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The entries were evaluated and graded by four English Language Professors from different Nigerian Universities in Sokoto, Ibadan, Nsukka and Uyo.
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