2013 UBA National Essay Competition Winners / Results Released
The result and winners of the 2013 UBA National Essay Competition for Senior Secondary Schools have been released. Persons who took part in the essay competition by submitting and entry should be informed. Ezenwa Joseph Okonkwo, a 15-year-old pupil of Ambol Comprehensive High School, Akesan-Igando, Lagos won the essay contest.
Winning a race that has over 2,000 athletes involved is exhilarating for any athlete. That was how Master Ezenwa Joseph Okonkwo, a 15-year-old pupil of Ambol Comprehensive High School, Akesan-Igando, Lagos, felt when he won the third UBA National Essay Competition for Senior Secondary Schools.
Okonkwo was rewarded with N1 million education grant for submitting the best essay on ‘How Reading has Impacted my Knowledge’ at an awards event organised by the UBA Foundation last Monday at the UBA Headquarters in Marina, Lagos.
The teenager beat 12 other finalists to lift the trophy. Toluwase Adeagbo of Sharon Rose Schools College, Saki in Oyo State came second and got N750,000, while Korie Ijeoma Jennifer of Air Force Secondary School, Port Harcourt got N500,000 for coming third.
The trio also got laptops, which the foundation gave to the nine other finalists as consolation prize.
Commenting on his win, Okonkwo said he had his father to thank for introducing him to the competition.
“My father told me about the essay and I believed that I could make it. I worked hard and did a lot of research to write the essay,” he said.
Commending UBA Foundation for transparency in selecting the winners, Ezenwa’s father, Mr Joseph Okonkwo said he was confident his son could do well but was not sure more popular schools would not overshadow him.
“I saw the advert in a newspaper and told my son to give it a try. I am impressed with the organisers. I thought that the foundation would give the prize to pupils from big schools. But I was happy that they gave it to my son because he won though his school is not so big,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Alhaji Alkali Mohammed, added that sustainable national development is only possible through investment in education.
“Any competition such as this will certainly help to bring out the best in the youths, by kindling their competitive spirit and academic excellence,” he said.
Also UBA’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, said: “In UBA we appreciate and nurture talents. All the finalists here today have opportunity to excel in life and UBA is delighted to play a part in the process,” he said.
