By Emmanuel Edukugho

THREE students have emerged winners in the United Bank for Africa, UBA, Foundation National Essay Competition 2012 for secondary school students in Nigeria out of  2,847 entries in which there were 12 finalists. At the grand finale/award presentation ceremony, yesterday, at UBA House, Marina, Lagos, the Deputy Managing Director, UBA, Mr. Kennedy Uzorka presented prizes to all the 12 finalists and the top three. They are Ikenna Ugwuebulam who came first, Chisom Nwaezeuoke, second runner-up and Arokoruba Cheetham-West as first runner up.

They won N1million, N700,000 and N500,000 respectively with Laptops and certificates. The winners will be known as UBA Ambassadors-Designate. Three professors from first generation universities in the country constituted the Panel of Assessors who selected the winners from nearly 3,000 entries. These were Professor Ralph Akinfeleye of University of Lagos who chaired the panel, Professor Sam Onuigbo of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Professor Nasidi Yakubu of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The competition was conceived as a measuring tool which availed students in senior secondary schools in Nigeria opportunity to win laptops and prize money in the form of educational grants to assist their university education. Mr. Uzorka, in his welcome address said the objectives of the initiative, among others, is to restore the dwindling writing culture because many student are not writing well nor speaking good.