Oritsebugbemi Omatseyin
Lagos — A second-year Political Science student of the University of Ibadan, Mr. Ayotomiwa Elesho has won an N1 million prize in the 6th Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Winners of the essay competition were celebrated at the award ceremony held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Wednesday.
The essay by the 23-year-old was adjudged the best amongst over 2000 entries submitted by undergraduates who must be within their first and 2nd year in the university.
Victor Sunday, a 200level Law student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka emerged second and won a cash prize of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N700,000.00), while the Bayelsa-born Doutimibraladei Timothy Frank, a 100-level student in the department of mechanical engineering, Federal University of Otuoke emerged third and won a cash prize of Five Hundred Thousand naira.
Each of the participants wrote an essay on, “Strategizing for Transformation to Clean Energy Landscape: The NCDMB Intervention.”
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote noted that the annual national undergraduates’ essay competition is one of the Board’s multiple interventions to improve the standard of education in Nigeria as well as promote proficiency in writing, awareness of local content, and its benefit to the national economy.
Wabote was represented by the Manager of Corporate Communication, Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile pointed out that the Board continues to prioritize the sponsorship of the competition because of the need to inculcate Local Content consciousness among undergraduates in our higher institutions.
While speaking on the choice of the topic for the year, Esueme said, “in March 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari declared the years 2021 to 2030 as Nigeria’s Decade of Gas and announced the Federal Government’s determination to fully exploit the nation’s abundant gas resources to accelerate the economic development of Nigeria. This declaration aligns fully with the rising global demand for cleaner energy sources. Also, in August 2022, the Federal Government launched the Energy Transition Plan which was applauded by the United States Government for being the first in the African Continent.”
He hinted that the topic was expected to stimulate the young ones to deploy their creativity in capturing the strategies that should be considered in transforming into cleaner energy and appraise the Board’s interventions in this regard.
He stressed that the Board will continue to introduce programs that will engage Nigerian youths, especially undergraduates.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the event, Sen. Inatimi Rufus Spiff said that the topic for the competition is timely as the effects of climate change ravaging our global landscape is making nations consider alternative sources of energy.
He commended the Board for consciously impacting and enhancing local participation in the oil and gas industry appreciably. In his words, “I wish to thank the management and staff for the initiative which is worthy of emulation in all ramifications. The era where artisans and other unskilled personnel were brought from abroad to work in the oil and gas industry even where local capacity abound has become a thing of the past through the effort of the Board.”
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