The Philip Asiodu Institute (PAI) recently held an award ceremony to celebrate the winners of its National Essay Competition, aimed at secondary school students across Nigeria. The competition, themed “Encouraging patriotism and nurturing Nigerian leaders of tomorrow,” underscored the importance of essay writing in developing critical thinking and creativity in young minds.
Mrs. Ronke Matiluku, Deputy Director of Education at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education,commended the initiative, emphasizing the value of essay writing in preparing students for exams and exposing them to diverse societal issues.
One of the institute’s founders, Mr. Ifeanyi Asiodu, highlighted the competition’s goal of recognizing students’ perspectives on leadership and their vision for Nigeria’s future. He emphasized PAI’s commitment to mentoring and empowering future leaders by providing them with necessary resources.
The chief judge, Nurayn Alimi from the Department of English at the University of Lagos, applauded the competition’s role in fostering patriotism and leadership qualities among Nigerian youth. With over 2,000 entries received nationwide, a significant portion came from Lagos State. Alimi explained that the judging criteria focused on clear organization, proper grammar and mechanics, and effective expression. Entries that did not meet submission guidelines or contained plagiarism were disqualified. Only 17 exceptional essays reached the final stage, where students presented their work publicly.
From the 17 finalists, six emerged victorious. Chioma Ndigwe from Lagos State Modern College, Badagry, and Eniola Odujebe from Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, were crowned winners in the Junior and Senior School categories, respectively. Both winners, along with their schools, received brand new laptop computers.