Education

Undergraduates to Compete for ₦1 Million in National Essay Contest

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 5th, 2025.

Undergraduates to Compete for ₦1 Million in National Essay Contest

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled the 2025 edition of its Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition, now in its ninth year, with a grand prize of ₦1 million up for grabs.

Open to students from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education—both public and private—across Nigeria, this year’s contest challenges participants to write on the theme: “Sustaining Local Content Policies in the Transitioning Oil and Gas Industry.”

According to Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, the programme’s coordinator, the submission portal officially opened on August 1, 2025, and entries will be accepted through the official website: www.ncdmbessay.ng. The award ceremony is slated for September 26, 2025, at the NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

In addition to the ₦1 million grand prize for the overall winner, the top 10 finalists will each receive a brand-new laptop.

Omorozi explained that the competition is designed to encourage academic excellence and foster greater awareness of local content policies among Nigerian students.

“This initiative isn’t just about rewarding brilliant essays,” he said. “It’s about cultivating a generation of young Nigerians who are intellectually prepared to engage with the evolving dynamics of the oil and gas industry, particularly in light of the global energy transition.”

He added that the chosen topic underscores the importance of locally driven strategies to ensure Nigeria remains competitive in the changing energy landscape.

The essay competition remains a flagship youth development initiative of the NCDMB, aimed at nurturing innovative thinkers who can contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s energy sector and broader economc development.