The UBA Foundation has kicked off the 15th edition of its National Essay Competition (NEC), offering Nigerian secondary school students the chance to win a share of over ₦18 million in educational grants and prizes.
This year’s competition focuses on the theme: “Nigeria is characterised by diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religions. How can young Nigerians deploy diversity to build a united nation?”
Entries close on Friday, October 17, 2025, with students required to submit scanned handwritten essays of not more than 750 words via the Foundation’s digital portal.
The competition, introduced 15 years ago, has grown into one of UBA Foundation’s flagship initiatives, promoting critical thinking, unity, and a strong reading culture among young Nigerians.
For the 2025 edition, the Foundation has increased its prize money significantly. The first-place winner will receive a ₦10 million university grant, up from last year’s ₦7.5 million. Second and third place winners will take home ₦7.5 million and ₦5 million respectively, compared to ₦5 million and ₦3.5 million in 2024.
Speaking on the significance of the NEC, Mrs. Bola Atta, Managing Director/CEO of UBA Foundation, described the contest as a vital platform for young people.
She said: “For well over a decade, the National Essay Competition has provided a vital platform for our secondary school students to express their ideas and showcase their intellectual prowess. Infact, parents and pupils have come to look forward to the NEC as they keep calling to ask about the commencement.”
Atta added: “This year’s topic is particularly crucial as it tasks them to look at our country’s greatest asset which is our diversity, and devise ways to leverage it for unity, growth, and national development. We believe the young minds of today hold the key to a more harmonious and prosperous Nigeria.”
To qualify, participants must be senior secondary school students in Nigeria. Each applicant must complete the online form, upload a handwritten essay, provide a passport photo, and submit a valid birth certificate, National ID, or international passport.
While the NEC began in Nigeria, UBA Foundation has since rolled out the competition in other African countries where UBA operates, widening access to its educational grants. Beyond the essay contest, the Foundation’s Read Africa initiative has also distributed hundreds of thousands of books across the continent to rekindle the reading culture among young Africans.
