By IHEANACHO COLLINS
Master Ezenwa Okonkwo, fifteen years old, a pupil of Ambol Comprehensive High School, Akesan-Igando, Lagos has just won the grand prize of N1m educational grant in the third edition of the United Bank for Africa national essay competition for senior secondary schools in Nigeria after emerging as overall winner from almost 2000 entries received across the country.
During the grand finale and prize presentation of UBA Foundation National Essay Competition for Senior Secondary Schools, held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mr. Alkali Mohammed, congratulated the foundation for the initiative and urged other institutions to emulate the initiative .He said, “Any competition such as this will certainly help to bring out the best in the youths, by kindling their competitive spirit and academic excellence”
The UBA National Essay Competition, which opened for entries in September and closed on November 1, 2013, received nearly 2000 entries from which 12 finalists were selected to write a supervised essay at the bank’s head office. The three winners emerged based on their performance at the supervised essay.
The Deputy Managing Director of UBA, Kennedy Uzoka, explained that the initiative was not only to test the knowledge of the pupils but it has become an advance to groom future UBA ambassadors, He said the winners will be under the umbrella of the UBA family provided that they remain focused and that the winner will go to any university of choice in Africa.
He added in appreciation all the finalist here today have the opportunity to excel in life and UBA is delighted to play a role in the process. Meanwhile, the bank also distributed free books to pupils in some selected schools in Osun and Kwara states.
