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Entries Begin for 2014 Uba Foundation National Essay Competition(AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Opportunities are now open to students in the senior secondary schools category across the country as entries for the 2014 UBA Foundation National Essay Competition commences. This annual competition to challenge the reading, research, writing and critical thinking skills of Nigerian students is organized by the UBA Foundation as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability initiatives of United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC. The essay competition in its fourth edition since its launch in 2011 by the foundation has witnessed increased participation from students across the length and breadth of the country and beyond. A statement from the organizers explained that going by the successes the competition had recorded in Nigeria, a similar version of the competition among secondary school students will also be staged outside the shores of the country. According to the MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Ms. Ijeoma Aso, the essay competition will also be staged simultaneously in Senegal and Ghana as "part of the organisation's effort to continue to intellectually challenge African youths to improve their capacity to compete in an increasingly global world". "The Essay competition is a follow up to our Read Africa initiative, which involves giving out literature books for secondary school students to help rekindle the reading culture. With the essay competitions, we are seeking to further challenge the students", she explained. Eligible senior secondary students willing to participate in the competition are expected to send in handwritten entries on the topic 'Is Social Media a Safe Place to make Friends? to the UBA Foundation's office in Lagos. Entries for the Nigeria competition close by November 14, 2014. Organisers of the annual competition said further that a distinguished panel of judges made up of professors from reputable Nigerian Universities will review the entries and select an initial shortlist of 12 entries for further assessment until the overall three best candidates emerge. The top three winners of the competition will win educational grants to study in any African university of their choice. The organization added that it remained committed to the socioeconomic betterment of the communities in which it operates, saying that the focus remains in development in the areas of environment, education, economic empowerment and special projects. Copyright Daily Independent. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |