The UBA Foundation has officially launched the 2025 edition of its annual National Essay Competition (NEC), a flagship initiative aimed at promoting literacy, intellectual engagement, and cultural awareness among senior secondary school students in Nigeria and across Africa. This competition continues to serve as a platform for young minds to express their ideas and contribute meaningfully to national development through writing.

Essay Topic
The theme for this year’s competition is: “Nigeria is characterised by diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religions. How can young Nigerians deploy diversity to build a united nation?”

This topic invites students to reflect on Nigeria’s rich multicultural landscape and propose innovative ways in which diversity can be harnessed to foster unity, peace, and progress.

Prizes and Recognition
The competition offers substantial educational grants to the top three winners, enabling them to pursue higher education at any African university of their choice. The prize structure is as follows:

- Winner: ₦10,000,000 educational grant

- First Runner-up: ₦7,500,000 educational grant

- Second Runner-up: ₦5,000,000 educational grant

- Additional consolation prizes will also be awarded to other outstanding participants

These prizes are designed to support academic advancement and reward excellence in thought and expression.

Eligibility Criteria
To participate, applicants must meet the following requirements:

- Be a Nigerian senior secondary school student

- Complete the official application form via the competition portal

- Submit a handwritten essay not exceeding 750 words

- Upload a recent passport photograph

- Provide a scanned copy of a valid identification document (Birth Certificate, National ID, or International Passport)

It is important to note that failure to include any of the required documents may result in disqualification.

Submission Details
Interested students should submit their applications through the official competition website: ubagroup.com/uba-foundation/national-essay-competition/

The deadline for all entries is Friday, October 17th, 2025. Students are encouraged to begin early and ensure that their submissions meet all stated guidelines.