Winners of the 2022 Bishop Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria have been rewarded with cash prizes, computers and laptops, among others, for their outstanding performance.
The winners were presented with awards at a ceremony held with fanfare at the Shell Zenith Bank Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture and Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary Schools, which are held on September 8, every year, was instituted by the Mike Okonkwo Foundation to celebrate the birthday of the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr Mike Okonkwo.
At the event, schools in Lagos State dominated the award; out of 10 schools, it produced six with three of them from public schools.
This year’s lecture entitled ‘Nigeria, A Country at War Against Itself: The Problems, Solutions and the Way Forward,’ was delivered by Professor Anya O. Anya, while the event was chaired by Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd).
Ayeni Oluwanifemi Bright, a 15-year-old student of State Senior High School, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, who emerged the overall winner, received N100,000 cash prize, a personal laptop, a trophy and a plaque, while her school got three sets of computers.
Ayeni scored 58 points in the first stage of the competition, 71 points in the second stage and 65 percent overall to emerge as the overall winner.
Another 15-year-old and student of Ijegun Senior Comprehensive High School, Isolo Lagos, Yekini Roqeed Abolaji, scored 59 and 68 in the first and second stage, respectively with 64 percent overall to emerge in the second position; while 13-year-old Eneche Leila, a student of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, came third having scored 60 and 65 points in the first and second stage and 63 percent overall.
For coming second, Yekini went home with a cheque of N75,000, a plaque and the school received two sets of computers, while Enecha smiled home with a cheque of N50,000, a plaque and the school got a computer set.
The other seven winners of the competition were each presented with a N20,000 consolation prize at the ceremony.
The topics of this year’s essay competition, which was in two stages, were: ‘Nigeria, A Country At War Against Itself: The Problems, The Solutions And The Way Forward,’ and ‘2023 Election: A New Nigeria or a Descent Into Chaos.’
According to the chief examiner, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo, over a thousand entries were received from secondary schools across the federation.
Ezeigbo, who was represented at the annual lecture and award presentation ceremony by Dr. Adaobi Muo, said that the friendly topic clearly mapped out the structural expectations for the informed students, who responded by articulating their understanding of the Nigerian situation in ways that revealed their deep immersion in socio-political issues.
To select the finalists, she noted that the writers of the 10 best essays were invited to the second round of the competition.
The examiner also stated that winners showed an impressive understanding of the two topics and addressed them as exceptional students in their class and category.
Speaking at the event, Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Bayo Osiyemi, said that with the students of Lagos State schools emerging at the top two positions in a national competition showed the investment of the state in education was worth it.
The governor congratulated the winners and commended the organisers of the competition for their commitment and steadfastness to bring the competition to this level.
The celebrant, Bishop Mike Okonkwo in his remarks congratulated the winners of the competition and urged them to continue the good work in order to continue to excel in their future endeavours.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- EDITORIAL: The Worsening Oil Theft
- Lagos schools shine at 2022 Mike Okonkwo national essay competition
and then