Etisalat rewards winners of ICT essay competition

Etisalat, has again affirmed its support for the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria by rewarding winners of the 2016 edition of the Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Students’ Essay Competition.

The annual essay competition organised by DigitalSENSE Africa Media, publishers of DigitalSENSE Business News and ITRealms in partnership with Etisalat, is aimed to promote creativity and encourage discourse on Internet Governance for Development amongst Nigerian youths, especially undergraduates.

The three winners include Odonoekuma Onyebuchi Ekuma, a fourth-year medical student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State, Henry Monday Oguns, a 500-level Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Benin, Edo State and Egwe Tochukwu Christopher, a fourth-year Law student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

Ekuma who emerged the star-prize winner of the contest was rewarded with a laptop computer and free internet access, courtesy of Etisalat Nigeria whilst Henry Oguns and Egwe Christopher who were the first and second runners up respectively went home with a tablet device and a mobile phone, also from Etisalat.

The trio came tops in the Etisalat-sponsored essay competition with the theme, ‘Internet Governance for Development: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians’, organised by DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA).

Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony in Lagos on Friday, Head, Environmental Compliance and Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluseyi Osunsedo, said the Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Students’ Essay Competition was one of the various platforms through which Etisalat promotes education and supports youth development in Nigeria.

She said, “This competition is part of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development as well as the Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable. As a youth-friendly company, we at Etisalat are pleased to create and support platforms that contribute to the development of Nigeria’s education sector and the empowerment of the Nigerian youth.”

Osunsedo added that, “Our drive is to continue to support the development of education in Nigeria. This collaboration with DigitalSENSE Africa is a proof of our commitment to supporting the dreams of Nigerian youths, and helping them to actualize their potentials. Etisalat will continue to provide innovative products and services, a reliable network as well as cutting edge solutions to our subscribers of which the youth are a critical segment.”

Group Executive Editor and Lead Strategist, DigitalSENSE Africa, Remmy Nweke, thanked Etisalat for its continued sponsorship of the competition. He said the competition, which also aims to help the youth to explore opportunities on the internet, is open to students between ages 18 and 30.

Nweke added that a total of 171 entries received for 2016 edition were assessed based on the understanding of the topic, ability to localize it, the presentation, and strict adherence to 600-word count limit.

As part of steps to further motivate the youth to aim for higher heights, Ekuma’s winning essay will be published in ITRealms and he will participate in the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum as Etisalat-DigitalSENSE Student Ambassador.

“I have a special interest in the use of Internet and Information Technology. When I graduate, I plan to take a postgraduate course in Information Technology that relates to medical science. The essay competition is a good initiative. Etisalat and DigitalSENSE should continue to leverage it to reach more Nigerian students”, Ekuma said.