A 15 year old student of Metro International School, Abuja, Khaira Ojima Bala, has emerged as the overall winner of the 16th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, earning a ₦15 million educational grant to support her university studies.
Bala was announced as the winner during the competition’s grand finale, held on Tuesday at UBA House, Marina, Lagos. She competed against 19 other finalists drawn from secondary schools across the country.
The ₦15 million grant will allow her to study at any university of her choice in Africa, giving her an opportunity to further her education without the immediate financial burden.
Speaking after receiving the award, an excited Bala dedicated her victory to her parents, acknowledging the sacrifices they had made to support her education.
“I am so happy right now. My parents have sacrificed so much for my education, and this award belongs to them as much as it belongs to me.
“I also want to thank the UBA Foundation for believing in young people like me and giving us a platform to share our ideas,” she said.
Unwanabasi Otobon Udom of Topfaith International Secondary School finished in second place and received ₦10 million, while Flourish Chibunumoma Ndamzi of the University of Port Harcourt Women Association International Secondary School came third, winning ₦7.5 million.
God’sfavour Ezekiel Udo of Federal Government Girls College, Ikot Obio Itong, secured fourth place with a ₦5 million grant, while Uchenna Olivia Anyanwu of Coral Impacts International School, Abuja, finished fifth and received ₦3.5 million.
The 20 finalists were selected from more than 15,000 entries submitted by senior secondary school students across Nigeria, highlighting the wide interest generated by this year’s competition.
Participants were asked to write on the theme, “No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?” The topic challenged students to examine the importance of food security and consider practical ways Nigeria could address the issue.
To prepare the finalists for the final stage, the organisers also arranged a one day writing boot camp where they worked with the judges to improve their writing and analytical skills.
This year’s edition saw the total educational grants increase to ₦41 million, an 82 per cent rise from the ₦22.5 million awarded in the previous competition. The increase followed a decision to expand the number of prize winners from three to five and raise the individual award amounts.
Beyond the financial rewards, all 20 finalists received modern laptops to support their studies and research. Each finalist also had ₦20,000 credited to their UBA account as a personal gesture from the bank’s Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba.
Speaking at the ceremony, Alawuba congratulated the students and described every finalist as a winner. He urged them to see their participation as proof of what determination, hard work and curiosity could achieve.
He also encouraged the young participants to remain committed to their education, stay focused on their goals and continue building their intellectual abilities.
