Ten out of the 12 winners in the 2020 UBA Foundation National Essay competition are girls.
Announcing the results yesterday at a virtual ceremony that was attended by high school students from across the nation, the foundation said the tenth edition of the competition has brought out the finest young creative writers in a challenging year.
UBA Foundation’s Education initiative has been changing lives for a decade as the tertiary education scholarship programme continues to impact the lives of many students and their communities.
For the fourth consecutive year, the females have led the competition with 14 year-old Eshiet Abasiekeme of Bright Stars Model Secondary School from Akwa-Ibom State taking home this year’s grand prize.
Eshiet received an educational grant of N2,500,000.00 to study in any African university of her choice. She will also be supported throughout her educational career and beyond with constant mentoring by the UBA Foundation.
Abasiekeme who had joined the virtual event from her base in Akwa Ibom State, could not contain her excitement as she heard the announcement that she had won the first prize of the NEC 2020. “I feel honoured to be the winner of this year’s NEC, and I want to appreciate UBA and UBA Foundation as this will help towards my dream of becoming a lawyer,” she said proudly.
The second prize was awarded to 14 year old Mofuluwake Adesanya of Spring Forte-Lead College Lagos State, who won a N2,000,000 educational grant, whilst the third prize of N1,500,000 went to Abdulganiyy Habeeba, 16 years old. Abdulganiyy attends the International School, University of Lagos.
Eshiet and the 11 other finalists, took home their brand new lap top computers to enable them continue to work competitively in a world that is rapidly becoming fully digitalised.
Congratulating all the winners at the final event of the competition, the managing director/CEO of UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, applauded all the participants for their exceptional brilliance.
She explained that the Foundation had taken into consideration the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on lives and incomes across board and had increased the prize money by 33 per cent this year to help cushion any negative or inflationary effects.
Also speaking at the opening of the event, the group managing director/chief executive officer of UBA Plc, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, commended all 12 finalists, expressing that UBA was happy to be touching lives and making a solid impact through its National Essay Competition, which is now in its 10th edition.