Dr. Frank Tietie, Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has said the Prince Nduka Obaigbena National Secondary Schools Essay Competition has unleashed young talents in research and writing.
Held at the CASER Headquarters in Asokoro, Abuja, the event honoured Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of the THISDAY/ARISE Group, who celebrated his 66th birthday on July 14th.
The competition, sponsored by CASER,
aimed to celebrate Obaigbena’s significant contributions to advancing excellence in journalism and broadcasting across Nigeria and Africa.
Persecondnews reports that the competition saw three students from Government College, Ughelli, Delta State—Masters Ray Mukoro, Princewill Kaizee, and Egarievwe Efetobor—emerge as winners, showcasing promising new voices in the field.
Tietie said that subsequent events would be expanded across Delta State and beyond, adding, “I am excited at the electrified atmosphere here in Abuja and in Government College Ughelli, my alma mater and today, I am fulfilled.This is one small step towards a giant realisation of young talents in research and writing.
“With tears in my eyes right now, I feel such joy that no amount of money can buy. About 36 years ago, I was just like one of those boys when I first heard about Obaigbena and his publications. Obaigbena was an inspiration for us back then as secondary school students in Government College, Ughelli.
“As a boy, I wanted to be a journalist amongst other things, but providence made me a lawyer. Despite many years of legal practice, the media and journalism kept calling out to me but I have stayed the course. Life is indeed a mystery that requires mastery.
“Now, this same providence had in such a way that the man who inspired me to become a journalist eventually, crossed my path when he admitted me into the Arise TV News family as an analyst.
“Now, I realised the influence that successful people like Obaigbena, the impact that such persons can have on children, like the way Obaigbena influenced me to love journalism many years ago in Government College, Ughelli.”
Tietie also expressed gratitude to his secondary school classmates – Mike, Efe, Charlie, Edjere, Ahanmisi, and Mukoro – for organising the event.
Speaking to newsmen about the final results of the competition, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, the Registrar of Baze University, Abuja, said 12 outstanding essays had made the final shortlist, adding that the entries had been meticulously assessed to determine the top three winners.
He said the evaluation was carried out with a commitment to academic integrity, creativity and excellence.
“The essays were reviewed using key assessment rubrics that included originality of thought, depth of insight, clarity of expression, relevance to the theme, grammatical accuracy, and the ability to engage the reader,” Adeniyi said.
He pointed out that the entries collectively demonstrated a commendable awareness of the subject of the essay: Prince Nduka Obaigbena, and reflected deep admiration for his courage, entrepreneurial spirit, and journalistic brilliance over the decades.
He said: “Many participants wrote with remarkable focus and ambition, suggesting a strong internal drive to achieve personal and national greatness, much like the man they wrote about.
“In making the final selection, the panel prioritised originality, creativity, stylistic flair, and an authentic understanding of the subject’s legacy.
“Based on these principles, it is my honour to announce the winners of the 2025 edition: Third place Egarievwe Efetobor -67%; second place: Princewill Kaizee – 68%; and overall winner: Ray Mukoro- 70%.”
The communication expert said the young minds represented the brightest hopes of the country’s education system and the future of national thought leadership.
Adeniyi also said: “Special recognition must be accorded to Mr. Frank Tietie, the vivacious and boisterous attorney-at-law, whose foresight and passion brought this competition to life His commitment to education, youth development, and intellectual engagement is not only laudable, but deeply impactful.
“By championing this initiative, Tietie has provided a meaningful platform for young Nigerians to celebrate the legacy of a national icon while also discovering the power of their voices.”
He added that the competition stands not only as a tribute to the life and legacy of Prince Nduka Obaigbena, but also as a clarion call to Nigerian youths to write, to reason, to dream and to lead.
Speaking on the theme, “The Quest for Truth and Integrity in Broadcasting in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, Prof. Sam Amadi said AI, coupled with the proliferation of social media platforms, had become inescapable.
He said: “You know that we are in the social media era, so we just needed to put structure in place and to put some reward mechanism to inspire these children.
“So, I think in the future, we will have a more robust discussion in this country around Freedom of Information (FoI) and the press. There were efforts to do a social media bill which was shut down.
“Many of us were opposed to it. But we also have to recognise that we are dealing with periods that perhaps our level of institutional control is not able to manage.
“And today, celebrating a legend like Nduka Obaigbena, who has been a role model and pioneer in journalism and the media as a whole, I think I have to commend Tietie for bringing this recognition and innovative celebration of a legend into sharp focus which in itself is timely, fitting and commendable.”
On AI and future of journalism and broadcasting, Amadi, who is a Director at Abuja School of Political Thought said: “I will say that the broadcasting landscape will be enabled by AI, with the quality of research, with real-time cross-checking, with capabilities that will enhance both our reach and our depth.
“But if we do not build up the control systems to match the level of sophistication that AI brings, we run the risk that broadcasting journalism as a whole could become a threat to society.
“Because typically in Nigeria, where we have less governance, it’s time to rise up and improve the quality of institutions, not in an authoritarian manner, but with sophistication, with nuances that will be able to allow creativity to flourish, which is good for the economy, allow the search for true content in the media.
“But at the same time, have the capacity to stop the dangers that misinformation, hate crime, and all forms of fraudulent use of media could lead to.”
He thanked Tietie for paying tribute to Obaigbena, a trailblazer who has transformed and continues to shape the Nigerian media landscape.
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