The outstanding young talents who excelled in the 2024 SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) were celebrated at a prestigious National Winners’ Award Ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria. For the past five years, the CDEC has been a catalyst for promoting technological awareness nationwide.
The grand ceremony not only honoured the exceptional students but also celebrated the achievements of their schools and states, highlighting the importance of nurturing intellectual prowess and academic excellence among the next generation of leaders aged 9 to 16.
Bakare Oluwasubomi of Ijaiye Ojokoro Senior High School, Lagos State, and Aletan Oluwajuwonlo of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Ibadan, Oyo State, emerged as winners of the 2024 SystemSpecs CDEC in the senior and junior categories, respectively.
The annual Children’s Day Essay Competition is a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of SystemSpecs, demonstrating the organization’s steadfast commitment to fostering technological advancement in Nigeria.
Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Group Chairman of SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, stated, “We have taken the responsibility upon ourselves to provide every Nigerian child, irrespective of creed, culture, or constituency, an opportunity to be exposed to the amazing world of technology and its transformative power, thus setting them up on a path for success in an increasingly competitive world where technology continues to be a defining factor.”
With about 3,500 essay submissions from various secondary schools across Nigeria, 50 finalists were shortlisted, from which three outstanding contestants emerged in both the Senior and Junior Categories.
The overall winners for both the senior and junior categories received N1,000,000 each, the second prize winners received N750,000 Naira, and the third prize winners received N500,000, along with brand new laptops, plaques, and other rewarding prizes.
‘Deremi Atanda, Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL), affirmed the Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) as a vital initiative dedicated to enhancing the country’s technological capabilities.
He expressed delight at the remarkable growth of the program, which has garnered increasing interest and participation from across the nation, demonstrating its significant impact on the development of technological resources in Nigeria.
“We are committed to the long term, having been at the forefront of business for the past 32 years. We firmly believe that investing in local capacity building is crucial for the country’s global competitiveness. Our goal is to nurture a new generation of highly skilled, tech-savvy Nigerians, equipped to drive innovation and excellence, and make a meaningful impact on the global stage,” he said.
Lagos State emerged victorious as the winning state in this year’s Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC), boasting an impressive 19 winners in the top 50.
Meanwhile, Apostolic Faith Junior Secondary School in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, took home the coveted winning school awards in the junior and senior categories, respectively.
Each winning school received 10 laptops, while the winning state also received 10 laptops, further empowering the next generation of leaders with cutting-edge technology.
Bukola Adeboye, SystemSpecs Group Head of Corporate Services, commended the finalists on their outstanding achievements, reaffirming SystemSpecs’ dedication to cultivating future leaders for Africa through the competition and other strategic initiatives.
“The 2024 edition marks another outstanding achievement for the CDEC, as we persist in cultivating ICT capabilities in Nigeria. Our singular objective for the CDEC is to facilitate Nigeria’s advancement through the augmentation of ICT capacity nationwide, ” she said.
