History was made in Lagos yesterday, as 13-year-old Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin, of Igando Community Senior High School, Igando, a suburb of Lagos, emerged as the overall winner of 15th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition (NEC), thus becoming the youngest winner in the fifteen years of the competition.
Master Ebunoluwa, a public school student of the school in SS2, also emerged the first male winner in over eight years, as female winners have repeatedly dominated the competition.
He clinched the grand prize of N10 million educational grant to be used for his future studies at any African higher institution of his choice. An elated Ebunoluwa, expressed his joy, stating: “I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed. This competition has shown me that passion and hard work truly pay off. It has been an amazing journey that has deepened my love for writing and expressing my ideas.”
The second-place winner, Njoku-Kelechi Emerald of Christian International High School, Owerri, received N7.5 million educational grant, while the third-place prize of N5 million educational grant was awarded to Bayero, Fatima Auwal of Cornerstone Montessori Schools, Gudu, Abuja. In addition to the monetary grants for the top three winners, all 12 finalists were awarded brand-new laptops and other educational materials to support their academic pursuits.
The 2025 edition got several thousands of entries, with significant participation extending beyond major cities into rural communities across the country.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who commended the Foundation’s 15-year commitment to the initiative, explained the competition’s strategic role in reviving a culture of reading and writing among youth. Emphasising the bank’s broader mission and the significance of the essay topic, he stated, “UBA encourages diversity.
Nobody in UBA will ever be judged based on ethnicity, religion, or culture. We see diversity as a strength. In fact, if you get diversity right in Africa, you have gotten the whole world right.” Alawuba praised the finalists for exemplifying this principle in their essays and teaching valuable lessons in building a united capacity.
The Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, who expressed profound gratitude to all stakeholders, reiterated the importance of education and how it is pivotal to the future of Africa “For 15 years, this initiative has been a cornerstone of our commitment to giving back and empowering the youth. We are investing in the academic future of these brilliant minds and, by extension, in the future of our continent. Education remains the most powerful tool to lift our continent, and we are thrilled to see this programme snowballing across Africa,” she stated.
