Thirteen-year-old Ebunoluwa Oluwatimilehin, a Senior Secondary School II student of Igando Senior High School, Igando, Lagos, has emerged winner of the 2025 National Essay Competition organised by the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
Oluwatimilehin defeated 11 others who made it to the grand finale of this year’s edition of the competition.
Now in its 15th year, young Oluwatimilehin, who is also an author, won a university grant of N10 million to study at any African university of choice in addition to other benefits.
The National Essay Competition, designed for senior secondary students in Nigeria, is organised as part of the foundation’s education initiative, which aims to promote reading culture and encourage healthy and intellectual competition among secondary school students in Nigeria and across Africa.
The competition was themed: “Nigeria is characterised by diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religions. How can young Nigerians deploy diversity to build a united nation?”
In the second place was Njoku Emerald, the only Senior Secondary School III among the contestants, from Christian International High School, Owerri, Imo State, and was rewarded with N7.5m, while Bayero Fatimo Auwal, a student of Cornerstone Montessori School, Abuja, emerged third and was rewarded with N5 million.
Speaking at the grand finale, which was held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre, UBA House, Marina, Lagos, the Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, emphasised the importance of youth engagement and diversity in shaping the future.
Alawuba said the competition serves as a celebration of the talents and efforts of young writers, highlighting their role in changing the country. He also acknowledged the contributions of parents and guardians, thanking them for their support in fostering the students’ achievements.
He also praised the dedication of the panel of judges, led by Dr Kabir Asabe, a Professor of English Language at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), for their professionalism and efficiency in selecting the winner, despite the over 7,000 entries received and the intricacies involved in marking and final assessment.
Reflecting on the report of the examiners, which identified some lacunae in presentation and wide use of slang by contestants, Alawuba urged the Foundation to include the top echelon of the Federal Ministry of Education and Commissioners of Education from states, to engage them in discussions and ensure youth perspectives are integrated into educational policies.
Emphasising the importance of diversity within UBA as an organisation, he said that over a thousand languages and a hundred nationalities are represented among its workforce.
“I think that if we get diversity right in Africa, not just Nigeria, the continent will be number one in the whole world. So, diversity is important for the government.”
Earlier, the Managing Director of UBA Foundation, Mrs Bola Atta, stated that the initiative aimed to promote literacy among children across Africa, acknowledging that it has continued to grow significantly over the years.
Atta noted that the competition has gained momentum and experienced a 75 per cent increase in essay entries this year, despite a late start in publicity, saying the literacy agenda is expanding beyond Lagos, reaching underserved areas in northern Nigeria, indicating a growing interest in education.
Speaking on the theme of the competition, Atta said the topic was deliberate as it focused on utilising Nigeria’s diversity to foster national unity, addressing themes of religious tolerance and communal love.
