By John Ikani
A second year Political Science student, University of Ibadan, Ayotomiwa Elesho, has won the N1 million prize of the 6th edition of the Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Victor Sunday, 23, of University of Nigeria, Nsukka emerged second, winning N700,000 while Doutimibraladei Frank, a year one student of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University, Otuoke emerged third with N500,000.
Also included in the top 10 winners list are Jonah Bonaventure Alidor from Ebonyi State (fourth position), Abdullah Yaqub from Oyo State (fifth position), Oluwafela Bibire (sixth position).
Others are, Osahuemwenmwen Ofumwengbe-Evba, Abosede Iyiola D, Princess Tari Tarawou and Femi Oyedele in seventh, eight, nineth and tenth positions respectively.
The best 10 out of the more than 2,000 entries got a laptop each during the event on Wednesday.
Speaking during the prize giving event held at Nostalgia Cinema, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote, said that NCDMB had sustained the sponsorship for six years because the board prioritises impactful youth engagement.
Represented by the Head, Corporate Communications, Esueme Dan-Kikile, Wabote said NCDMB would continue to introduce programmes to engage Nigerian youths, especially the undergraduates.
“The annual national undergraduates’ essay competition is one of NCDMB’s multiple interventions to lift the standard of education in Nigeria. It aims to promote proficiency in writing, awareness of local content and its benefit to the national economy, and to engender citizen engagement from undergraduate level.
“The topic was expected to stimulate the young ones to deploy their creativity in capturing the strategies that should be considered in transiting into cleaner energy as well as appraise the Board’s interventions in this light.
