The UBA Foundation has announced the opening of entries for the 2026 edition of its National Essay Competition (NEC), with N41 million set aside for educational grants and prizes for the top five winners.

Now in its 16th year, the competition is open to Nigerian senior secondary school students and is designed to encourage writing, creativity and critical thinking while providing financial support for university education.

The first-place winner will receive a N15 million university grant, representing an increase from the N10 million awarded to the winner in 2025.

The remaining prizes are structured as follows:

• Second place: N10.5 million
• Third place: N7.5 million
• Fourth place: N5 million
• Fifth place: N3.5 million

According to the foundation, the grants may be used to support university education at any African university selected by the winners.

The 2026 edition also marks an expansion of the competition’s financial support, with educational grants introduced for the fourth- and fifth-place winners. This means five students will receive financial assistance through the competition.

This year’s essay competition centres on Nigeria’s food security challenge. Participants are expected to respond to the topic:

“No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?”

The UBA Foundation said the topic is aimed at encouraging young Nigerians to examine practical and sustainable approaches to addressing food insecurity.

UBA Foundation Managing Director/CEO, Bola Atta, said the competition continues to provide secondary school students with an avenue to share their ideas and contribute to national development.

To qualify, applicants must be Nigerian senior secondary school students. Each participant is required to submit a handwritten essay of no more than 750 words through the competition’s digital portal.

Applicants must also complete the online application form and upload their handwritten essays, alongside a recent passport photograph and an accepted proof of identity or age.

The deadline for applications is Friday, October 23, 2026.

The National Essay Competition forms part of the UBA Foundation’s broader education initiatives, which also include the Read Africa programme and other projects focused on literacy, education and youth development across Africa.

Source: msmeafricaonline