The UBA Foundation has opened entries for its 2026 National Essay Competition, with a total of N41.5 million in educational grants and prizes available to five Nigerian senior secondary school students.
The annual competition, now in its 16th year, is designed to promote reading, writing, creativity and critical thinking among senior secondary school students while providing financial support for their university education.
The first-place winner will receive a N15 million university grant. The second-place winner will receive N10.5 million, while the third-place winner will receive N7.5 million. The fourth- and fifth-place winners will receive N5 million and N3.5 million respectively.
This year’s competition focuses on food security in Nigeria. Participants are required to respond to the topic, “No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?” The organisers expect students to examine the country’s food security challenges and propose practical and sustainable solutions.
The competition is open to Nigerian senior secondary school students. Applicants are required to complete the online application process and submit a handwritten essay of not more than 750 words. A recent passport photograph and a valid birth certificate, National Identity card or international passport are also required.
UBA Foundation said the expansion of the prize structure means fourth- and fifth-place finalists will receive educational grants for the first time. The grants are intended to support university education at an African university of the winners’ choice.
Students interested in participating must submit their applications through the competition’s digital portal on or before Friday, October 23, 2026. The foundation’s official competition page lists the eligibility requirements and application process for prospective participants.
The National Essay Competition provides Nigerian secondary school students with an opportunity to develop their writing and research skills while engaging with a major national development issue. Schools and teachers can also use the competition topic to encourage students to think critically about food production, access to food and Nigeria’s long-term development.
Eligible students should therefore begin preparing their handwritten essays early and ensure that all required documents are uploaded before the October 23 deadline. Applications that do not meet the stated requirements may not proceed to the subsequent stages of the competition.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.