Students in secondary schools across the country have been
invited to submit entries in the 2013 UBA Foundation National Essay
Competition. The essay competition for secondary students is organized by
UBA Foundation; the corporate social responsibility arm of UBA to encourage
healthy and intellectual competition among secondary school students in
Nigeria.
Ijeoma Aso, Managing Director/CEO, UBA Foundation, announced the
call for entries at a press conference held on Thursday at the bank’s head
office in Lagos. She said that all senior secondary schools students across the
country are eligible to participate in the competition. “The 3 best essayists
are selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the
first round of the competition. The first, second and third prize winners
will receive N1,000,000.00, N750,000.00 and N500,000.00 in educational grants
respectively” she stated.
The national essay competition which is in its third consecutive
year, has witnessed increased participation from students since it was first
launched in 2011. According to her there were more than 2000 entries from
all over the country in 2012 representing a 300 per cent increase from the
previous year.
“The Essay competition is meant to complement UBA Foundation’s
‘Read Africa Initiative’ which is also part of the Foundation’s efforts
in arresting the falling standard of education on the continent. This year
we expect to receive more than 4000 entries for the competition. We encourage
all senior secondary students across the country to send an entry with the next
six weeks when the competition will be open. Entries close by November 1, 2013
and no late entry will be accepted” she explained.
To participate in the competition, eligible senior secondary
students are expected to send in handwritten entries on the topic ‘How Reading
has Impacted my Knowledge’ to the UBA Foundation’s office in Lagos. At the end
of October, 2013 when entries close, four renowned Nigerian Professors will
review the entries and select an initial shortlist of 12 for further assessment
until the overall 3 best candidates emerge.
The Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA Plc,
Mr. Charles Aigbe said the essay competition falls within the four focus areas
of the Foundation; Education, Economic Empowerment, Environment and Special
Project. According to him, the Bank’s CSR projects are geared toward promoting
sustainable development in communities where UBA operates across Africa.
“The competition is a key aspect of our investment drive in
human capital and we will continue to sustain the exercise. Education is very
strategic to us as an institution. Each year, we also donate books to students
in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, under the ‘Read Africa’ initiative to
encourage and promote the reading culture in secondary schools,” he stated.
Representative of the judges’ panel and Head of Department, Mass
Communication, University of Lagos, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye noted that the
Essay competition demonstrates UBA Plc’s commitment to development of Nigeria’s
educational sector. He revealed that the students would be judged on content,
organization and mechanical accuracy and urged the students to address the
topic of the essay, instead of writing on other subject matters. “The
marking process is a comprehensive and rigorous process that reflects transparency.
We are as careful as we are painstaking in our collective assessment of the
candidates” he said.
As a the CSR platform for the UBA Group, UBA Foundation embodies
the Group’s CSR objectives and seeks to impact positively on the society
through a number of laudable projects and initiatives..
Tags
Society