The 9th award and prize-giving ceremony of the NCDMB Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition came to a close over the weekend, with 16-year-old Miss Josephine Akande, of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, emerging as the overall winner.
The 200-level medical student, who hails from Osun State, defeated nine other finalists to clinch the first prize of N1 million and an HP laptop, among other items.
The first runner-up, 23-year-old Mr. Sonuga Opeyemi, also a 200-level medical student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, received N700,000 and an HP laptop, while the second runner-up, Miss Amarachi Aguigwe, a 200-level student of computer science at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, received N500,000 and an HP laptop.
Seven of the finalists had an HP laptop each as consolation prizes, while copies of the seminal work, “Nigeria’s Local Content: A journey of strategic communication and economic transformation,” authored by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, of the NCDMB, Obinna Ezeobi.
Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, said the board sponsors the essay competition “to inculcate local content consciousness among undergraduates in our higher institutions” and to make them understand that local content is an economic imperative for sustainable development.
The competition, he noted, is also to promote liberal arts education and the development of vital soft skills required in the workplace and in business in the emerging digital world economy, while analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as problem-solving ability, would also be enhanced in exercises of this nature.
Commenting on the theme of the 2025 edition of the competition: “Sustaining local content policies in the transitioning oil and gas industry,” the NCDMB boss noted that its topicality derives from the global preoccupation with energy transition programs and the need for Nigeria, too, to evolve appropriate strategies to achieve energy security.
He commended the program consultant, Mahogany 21st Century Concepts Limited, and the judges of the competition for the transparent process in the selection of winners.
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The executive secretary, who was represented by the Chief Supervisor, Government Relations, Mr. Teddy Bai, congratulated all participants in the essay competition, encouraging them all to remain focused on their studies and quest for knowledge.
Chief Executive Officer of Mahogany 21st Century Concepts, Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, commended the NCDMB for its continued commitment to the competition now in its ninth year.
He thanked the judges for the professionalism demonstrated in the assessment of the essays and the students for all the energy put into the exercise.
The top-10 finalists were Abdullahi Lawal, a 200-level computer science student of Baze University, Abuja; Sonuga Opeyemi, first runner-up; Miss God’s Iyah, a 200-level student of the University of Uyo, and Usman Tahiru, a 200-level student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Others were Lawal Olayemi, 200-level student of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti; Khadijah Ogunleke, 200-level student of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto; Amarachi Aguigwe, second runner-up; Josephine Akande, overall winner; Folayemi Idowu, 200-level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and Maryam Hamzat, 200-level student of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
