UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa Plc, has announced the commencement of the 2025 edition of its annual National Essay Competition, with winners set to grab over N18m in educational grants and consolation prizes.
In a statement on Tuesday, the foundation said that the competition, which is now in its 15th consecutive year, is open for senior secondary school students across Nigeria to share their thoughts on the theme: ‘Nigeria is characterised by diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religions. How can young Nigerians deploy diversity to build a united nation?’
Students are required to research thoroughly, get their ideas together, write their essays, and submit the scanned copies of their entries through the digital portal on or before Friday, October 17, 2025.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta, who underscored the significance of the initiative, noted that young minds have a vital role to play in fostering national cohesion, particularly at a time when unity is most needed in the country.
“For well over a decade, the National Essay Competition has provided a vital platform for our secondary school students to express their ideas and showcase their intellectual prowess. In fact, parents and pupils have come to look forward to the NEC, as they keep calling to ask about the commencement,” Atta said.
“This year’s topic is particularly crucial as it tasks them to look at our country’s greatest asset, which is our diversity, and devise ways to leverage it for unity, growth, and national development. We believe the young minds of today hold the key to a more harmonious and prosperous Nigeria,” she added.
For this year, the foundation announced a significant increase in its educational grants, with the first-place winner receiving a university grant of N10m to study at any African university of their choice. This amount represented a rise of 33 per cent compared to the N7.5m winning prize last year, while the second-place and third-place winners will be awarded N7.5m and N5m grants, respectively, up from N5m and N3.5m won last year.
To be eligible to participate, applicants must be Nigerian senior secondary school students. Interested candidates are required to complete the online application form, upload a handwritten essay of no more than 750 words on the given topic, attach a recent passport photograph, and provide a valid birth certificate, national ID card, or international passport.
