By Nnamdi Ojiego

A student of Loral International School, Festac, Lagos, Miss Fatima Umar Yusuf has won this year’s edition of the Amuwo Odofin Annual Youth Essay competition.

The competition organised by Meljenstin Youth Empowerment Initiative in collaboration with and Amuwo Odofin local government was titled; “The Role of Integrity and Accountability in Nation’s Leadership”.

Miss Yusuf defeated participants from other schools such as St Jude’s Secondary School, Tai Solarin School, Tender Touch School, Kabe School, Soleil High School, Festac Senior Grammer School, Radiance High School, among others to emerged the overall winner.

Participants who made it to the final stage were asked to do an oral presentation of articles they had written at the initial stage, from which the winner was decided.

In her reaction, the elated Fatima Yusuf disclosed that she couldn’t have achieved the feat but for the support and encouragement she received from her school mates, the teachers and the school management.

She admitted that she felt nervous and frightened at the beginning but later regained her composure and boldness as she progressed in the debate. However, she smiled home with a cash prize of seventy thousand naira as the winner of the competition.

Meanwhile, Loral Nursery/Primary School, Lagos, an arm of Loral International schools, recently, held its annual inter-class quiz and debate competition at the school premises.

The quiz competition was done by Nursery II, Nursery III and Basic five respectively while Basic three and Five participated in the debate. The topics of the debate included; “Boys are more important than girls in the African Society”, and “Public Hospitals are better than Private hospitals”.

Both the winners and runners – up were handsomely rewarded for their outstanding performances to encourage them to do more.

Speaking on the rationale of the competition, the coordinator of the event and Headmistress, (Nursery), Mrs Lawrencia Etoh, said the programme was introduced to encourage healthy competition among  students as well as to prepare them for future challenges.