Funmi Ogundare, Kayode Tokede

History was made in Lagos on Tuesday, as 13-year-old Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin, of Igando Community Senior High School, Igando, a suburb of Lagos, emerged as the overall winner of 15th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition (NEC), thus becoming the youngest winner in the fifteen years of the competition.

Master Ebunoluwa, a public school student of the school in SS2, also emerged the first male winner in over 8 years, as female winners have repeatedly dominated the competition.  He clinched the grand prize of N10 million educational grant to be used for his future studies at any African higher institution of his choice.

The second-place winner, Njoku-Kelechi Emerald of Christian International High School, Owerri, received N7.5 million educational grant, while the third-place prize of N5 million educational grant was awarded to Bayero, Fatima Auwal of Cornerstone Montessori Schools, Gudu, Abuja.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who commended the Foundation’s 15-year commitment to the initiative, explained the competition’s strategic role in reviving a culture of reading and writing among youth.

Emphasising the bank’s broader mission and the significance of the essay topic, he stated, “UBA encourages diversity. Nobody in UBA will ever be judged based on ethnicity, religion, or culture. We see diversity as a strength. In fact, if you get diversity right in Africa, you have gotten the whole world right.”

The Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, who expressed profound gratitude to all stakeholders, reiterated the importance of education and how it is pivotal to the future of Africa.