13-Year-Old Wins UBA Essay Competition, Takes N10m Grant

A 13-year-old Senior Secondary School Two student, Seth Ebunoluwa of Igando Community Senior High School, Lagos, has won the 2025 United Bank for Africa National Essay Competition, becoming the first male student to claim the top position in eight years.

He received an educational grant of N10 million after emerging as the best among 12 finalists selected from more than 120,000 entries submitted nationwide.

Fifteen-year-old Emerald Njoku-Kelechi of Christian International High School, Imo State, came second with a N7.5 million educational grant, while the third prize of N5 million went to 14-year-old Fatima Auwa Bayer of Cornerstone Montessori School, Abuja. The competition, now in its fifteenth year, continues to attract thousands of young participants eager to showcase their writing and critical-thinking skills.

Speaking at the finale, Group Managing Director of UBA, Mr Oliver Alawuba, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to investing in African youths through consistent support for education.

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 He said the continent’s greatest asset is its young population and that meaningful investment in their learning and development remains key to unlocking Africa’s long-term potential.

According to him, the increase of the first-place grant to N10 million reflects UBA’s broader strategy of building human capital capable of driving future growth.

Mr Alawuba stressed that education offers the highest return and that Africa’s path to global relevance will be defined by how well it empowers its youth.

He said the Bank’s sustained focus on education stems from the belief that young people, when given opportunity, will lead the continent to a stronger and more competitive future.

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Chief Executive of the UBA Foundation, Ms Bola Atta, said the competition, which began in Nigeria 15 years ago, has now expanded to Ghana and Senegal.

She explained that the Foundation aims to extend the programme to more African countries, targeting between 10 and 15 nations by 2026 as part of efforts to deepen literacy, promote reading culture and support poverty reduction across the continent.

She added that the Foundation intends to collaborate with ministries of education to strengthen policies and initiatives that encourage learning among young Africans.