Oyo: Youths set for empowerment with annual Seyi Makinde essay competition

As students across the country continue to prepare for school resumption following the lockdown enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, a socio-political support group of the Oyo State government, Omituntun Initiative in the Diaspora (OID), has commenced the annual Seyi Makinde Essay Competition to empower youths.

According to the organisers, the competition is aimed at empowering youths with socio-economic problem-solving skills.

“The competition aims to create a platform for public policy discourse on the socio-economic concerns of Oyo State youths who comprise over 70 per cent of the state population (NBS, 2016).

“In line with the vision of the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, youths would be equipped with necessary socio-economic and educational exposure and skills for their future career development. These future leaders will take the mantle of leadership and propel the state to the next phase of developmental revolution,” the organisers added.

Participants would have the luxury of choosing one of the two themes for the competition, namely, ‘The role of youth in achieving good governance, leadership and development in Oyo state’, or ‘Digital grassroot innovation for sustainable agriculture in Oyo State’, a release by the organisation said.

Speaking on the conditions for participation, OID spokesperson, Barrister Ayotomiwa Adebayo, said: “Entrants must be either an indigene of Oyo or reside in the state; they must be tertiary students, they must be between ages of 15 and 30; the maximum word count is 1000 words, font size of 12 and line spacing of 1.5. There is 20 per cent plagiarism percentage limit and deadline for submission is November 15, 2020.

“Also, the only language allowed is English and submissions must be made in Microsoft Word format alone. The topic should be addressed as it applies to the Oyo State situation and entries be made to admin@omituntunindiaspora.org

“The best essay will be awarded a sum of N150,000, the second best a sum of N100,000 and the third best a sum of N50,000. Top 20 essays will be sponsored for competent development training.”