The ultimate winner of a nationwide essay competition held by the United Bank for Africa Foundation is 15-year-old Usongobong Paul, a student at the Federal Government Girls College in Ikot Ibio Itong, Akwa Ibom State.
Paul was awarded a scholarship of 5 million Naira to study at any African university of her choice.
Princess Sholabomi from Value Spring College in Lagos State came in second and won N3,000,000, followed by Sharon Nwajiaku from Ota Total Academy, who won N2.5 million.
According to Bola Atta, chief executive officer of UBA Foundation, the entries were impressive. Out of over 5,000 entries submitted for the competition, 12 finalists were shortlisted. Among them were 11 girls and a boy.
Otong, an SS2 student and fourth child of her parents defeated Princess Sholabomi, a student of Value Spring College, Lagos, and Sharon Uwajiaku, a student of Total Academy, Otta, Ogun State, to second and third prizes, respectively, and also nine other finalists from among over 5,000 students who submitted entries nationwide.
While Otong is rewarded for her effort with a N5 million scholarship grant to study at any university of her choice in Africa, a trophy, laptop, certificate of merit, and a school bag, Princess and Sharon on their part, won N3 million and N2.5 million scholarship grants respectively also to study at their choice universities in Africa and equally received a laptop, certificate of merit, and a school bag each.
Otong, who is aspiring to become an ophthalmologist and was escorted to the event by Mrs Akanyere Divinelove Chigozie, her ICT teacher, said that winning the competition was really tasking as she burnt night candles to read and research to put down the winning essay.
She also said that she was excited to have won the competition, adding that the experience has bolstered her confidence.
It was her first attempt to participate in the competition and she had never won any major award before.
They all wrote on “ASUU strikes have often cost Nigerian students time. Advise the Nigerian government on how they can reach an agreement with ASUU to improve tertiary education in the country.”
While commending UBA Foundation for providing the platform, she said she had gained additional knowledge about contemporary issues in the education system and that hard work and commitment are certainly rewarding.
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