WINNER OF UBA NATIONAL ESSAY COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

This year's winners of the National Essay Competition has been announced by United Bank of Africa, UBA Foundation.

The 15-year-old Akwa Ibom native, won the competition with the essays she wrote on the topics: “What matters to you most in Life?” and “If you were to help someone, who would it be and how would you go about it?”

Of the 12 shortlisted finalists, Miss Emediong Uko of the British Nigerian Academy, Abuja, emerged winner of the competition.

Coming in second place was 14-year old Starish Enonuya of The Lagoon School, Lekki, Lagos, who got N750,000 educational grant, while third placed Eze Ugochinyere of Living Word Academy School, Abia, got N500,000.

She was awarded a N1 million educational grant, which she can claim once she gains admission into any university in Africa, a laptop, and trophy as her prize.

Speaking at the award ceremony, the Chief Judge of the competition, Prof. Ime Uko of the University of Uyo, said the top three proved their worth in the second round, showing that they really wrote the first essays themselves – unlike some  of the remaining seven finalists, whose entries she believed might have been improved by others.

She called on schools to discourage text message culture in formal writing, and teach pupils to properly reference materials from the internet.