Entries for the 18th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for secondary school students in Nigeria have opened. The closing date is June 2. The topic for this year’s competition is ‘Nigerianisation of Nigerians: A look inwards.’
Entry requirements include, an essay of maximum of 2000 words, a passport photograph of the student, full name, address, contact telephone number, class, school as well as name and telephone contact of the principal. All essays should be submitted in word format through email to essay@trem.org.
In a statement by the Corporate Services Director, Oluwayomi Uteh, the star winner would go home with N500, 000 cash, trophy and plaque, while the school gets a desktop computer. The first runner-up gets a cash prize of N250, 000 with a plaque, and the school will equally get a desktop computer. The second runner-up gets an N100, 000 cash prize and a plaque, while the school gets a desktop computer.
The competition is one of Okonkwo’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities aimed at raising the nation’s education standard and also sensitising students by making them analytically minded to excel in their world by developing their ability to think through issues.
It is also part of activities lined up to mark the 78th birthday of Okonkwo, who is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).
Over the years, the competition has helped in shaping the thought pattern of students to develop problem-solving skills.
The competition spans over a decade of developing and rewarding the writing skills of Nigerian youths towards national development. Prizes for this year’s competition will be presented to winners at the 22nd Mike Okonkwo yearly lecture, scheduled for September 7 at the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Okonkwo’s desire to show the love of God to humanity gave birth to the foundation, a non-governmental organisation committed to alleviating the plight of the less privileged in society through donations to hospitals, establishment of free vocational training centres, running free preparatory schools for students in secondary schools and facilitating regular public enlightenment campaigns on health issues amongst others.
To contribute his quota to national development, he also started the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture in 2000, which has grown to become a major contributor to government policies as it brings together seasoned men and women to discuss burning national issues.
Also, to encourage the writing skills of children in secondary schools and help them become solution providers to the nation, the Mike Okonkwo Essay Competition was born.
