Adenuga Adeniyi of the African Church Model College, Lagos, has emerged as the winner and most outstanding student of the 2023 Teens Think competition.
Adeniyi defeated 14 other finalists that qualified for the grand finale event held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja on Tuesday, July 25.
The 2023 competition is the third edition of the annual event that started in 2021. Adeniyi distinguished himself with his remarkable writing and presentation skills to earn the prestigious title of national champion for the essay competition.
According to the organisers of the event, over 400 entries were received from all states such as Taraba, Imo, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Kwara and other states across the federation.
Kehinde Olesin, convener and founder of Teens Think, speaking at the award ceremony expressed her delight at the high-quality submissions received this year, stating that the event has continued to grow in popularity among young scholars in the country.
“TeensThink believes in the power of education and leadership as catalysts for change. We strive to equip teenagers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate the complexities of our multicultural world.
Through our programnes, workshops, and mentorship, we empower young minds to be proactive agents of cultural integration.
I am thrilled with the fantastic response that we received this year. It is heartening to see so many young people with a passion for writing and storytelling,” she said.
She pointed out that the significance of the initiative has garnered international attention, as the competition has witnessed substantial interest from Accra in Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya.
“The global resonance of our work has been truly inspiring, driving us to further innovate and broaden our horizons,” Olesin noted.
For emerging the winner, Adeniyi received a prize money of N150,000, the first runner up gets N100,000; while the second runner up got the sum of N70,000. The other finalist got N20,000 prize money.
All 15 finalists developed and presented their essay on the topic: “Cultural Integration as a way of Life.” This was followed by an intense evaluation process by a team of objective independent jurors.
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The ceremony, which had in attendance, government dignitaries, young entrepreneurs, authors, entertainers and school administrators, saw the finalists take home various prizes ranging from such as laptops, educational games, books and merchandise products from diverse sponsors.
Adeboye Adeyemi, chairman advisory board for Teens Think, in his speech urged the students to continue to thrive in good morals and academic excellence, while describing them as future leaders that have the potential of becoming exceptional nation builders in the future.
Iretiola Doyle, a veteran Nollywood actress, and guest of honour at the event while addressing the students on the need to embrace cultural integration describes the teenagers as torchbearers, who have the power to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and foster understanding among diverse communities.
“You are the totality of your thought process and you have to keep reinventing yourselves as many times as possible to achieve the future that you seek,” she said.
Past winners of Teen Thinks are Uche Ochefu, a Junior Secondary School three (JSS3) student of Methodist Boys High School. He was the winner of the maiden edition of the competition in 2021.
In 2022, Oyedele Precious from Federal University of Abeokuta International School, emerged the overall winner.
TeensThink (TT), an initiative of MarchMedia, a fast-paced communications agency based in Lagos Nigeria, is a leadership, educative, and interactive platform geared towards building outstanding leaders digitally oriented with great marketable and communication skills.
