A record was set in Lagos on Tuesday as the 15th UBA Foundation National Essay Competition (NEC) crowned its youngest ever champion.
Ebunoluwa Seth Oluwatimilehin, a 13-year-old from Igando Community Senior High School, Igando, secured the overall victory, marking a significant moment in the competition’s history.
The SS2 public school student not only became the youngest winner but also the first male to claim the title in over eight years, ending a period of consistent female dominance.
Master Ebunoluwa was awarded the coveted grand prize – a substantial N10 million educational grant, which he can utilize for his higher education at any African institution of his choosing.
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.
The foundation has a long-standing tradition of philanthropy, with numerous initiatives across Africa aimed at empowering the underprivileged, from educational scholarships and initiatives to healthcare interventions and poverty alleviation programmes.
UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the UBA Group, is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of education, environment, economic empowerment and special projects.
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