Fifteen year old Esther Eziaku, a student of His Grace High School, Enugu State emerged winner of UBA Foundation, eleventh annual National Essay Competition (NEC), which was held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheater at the UBA House, Marina Lagos on Tuesday.
The UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, organises the competition every year as part of its education initiative. In a release, the organisation said it has been changing lives for over a decade as the tertiary education scholarship programme continues to impact the lives of many students and their communities at large.
For the fifth consecutive year, girls have clinched the best prize as Esther beat 11 other finalists selected from over 7,000 entries received digitally by the UBA Foundation from students of senior secondary schools across Nigeria.
Esther won an educational grant of N3 million to study at any African university of her choice. She also received a brand-new state-of-the-art laptop and many other educational tools from the UBA Foundation. She will be supported throughout her educational career and beyond with constant mentoring by the UBA Foundation.
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“It was not very easy as I had to study hard and conduct a lot of research, but I am happy that it paid off for me,” said the 15 year old winner who was accompanied to the event by her mother, Joy Chika Eziaku, She thanked the UBA foundation remarking that the win has changed her life.
The second prize was bagged by Nduka Chukwuemeka, male, aged 17, of Oxfords international School, Abia State, who won a N2,500,000 educational grant and a laptop; while the third prize of N2,000,000 and a brand new laptop went to 15-year old Hajarat Abdulwahab of Addy Basic School, Kano.
The other 9 finalists also received brand new laptops as well as consolation prizes, including books and other learning materials.
In his remarks the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Plc Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, said UBA as a bank is happy that it has been touching lives and making a solid impact through the UBA Foundation, adding that the annual competition which is in its 11th year, has produced hundreds of winners, some of who have long graduated from higher schools and have been impacting their communities.
He said, “Like we did last year, we again increased the prizes to match the rising cost of living. Over the years, we have been assured that we are doing something very unique and truly African, and this is why the initiative is for those who wish to study in Africa, because we are proud of our continent.”
The MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, whilst congratulating the winners, commended them for their exceptional brilliance. “Every student who sent in an entry is a winner. To be confident about your writing skills and ambitious enough to enter a competition to further enhance your educational path is laudable. For those that did not win, I would say do not be discouraged. Take it as a challenge to perfect your writing skills and enter for the competition again next year” she said.
UBA Foundation’s National Essay Competition has been rolled out to other African countries including Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, with plans for more footprints in 2022.
