By Tunde Oso

With nearly half of Nigeria’s population under the age of 25, the urgency of equipping young people with the skills and confidence to tackle national challenges has come into sharper focus.

SystemSpecs said on Tuesday, in a statement sent to Vanguard that its Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC), now in its seventh edition, is designed to expose young Nigerians to real-world problems and encourage them to develop practical, technology-driven solutions.

Executive Director, Corporate Services at SystemSpecs, Bukola Adeboye explained the concept of the initiative as to equip young Nigerians with critical thinking skills and technological expertise to drive national development.

“As a nation, we must invest deliberately in the capacity of our children to think critically about the challenges around them. Technology is an enabler of progress, and young people must learn to see it as such from an early age.

“Through this competition, we are inviting students to apply their minds to real problems affecting millions of Nigerians daily. We hope that this initiative will nurture a generation of problem solvers who see national development as something they can actively contribute to building,”she stated.

Adeboye revealed the the theme for 2026 CDEC as “Achieving a Safer and More Effective Transportation System in Nigeria Through Information Technology,” noting the contest opening February 9, highlights the central role of mobility in everyday life.

“From commuting to school and work to moving goods across markets and regions, transportation remains vital to livelihoods and communities. Yet safety risks, congestion, cargo losses, delayed logistics, and weak emergency response continue to disrupt movement nationwide”, she stated.

She added that the competition challenges students aged 9 to 17 to think beyond physical infrastructure and explore how digital tools, such as real-time tracking, incident reporting platforms, safety awareness solutions, and coordinated response mechanism scan strengthen Nigeria’s transport systems.

“Entries will be judged on clarity of thought, practicality, creativity, and relevance to everyday realities.The goal is not to reinvent what already exists, but to demonstrate how data and technology can make systems safer, smarter, and more dependable. Essays that demonstrate clear thinking about the intersection of technology, society, and human behaviour will stand out “,she added.

CDEC positions children not merely as observers but as contributors whose ideas can shape safer, more inclusive systems.

Over six previous editions, themes have ranged from security and education to online safety and civic responsibility. The 2026 edition builds on this legacy by encouraging children to see technology not just as a tool for consumption but as an instrument for national progress.