OAU Alumnus, Others Win UNICAF Essay Contest

Sunday Ehigiator

A Mechanical Engineering graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Adedapo Adeniruju, 27, has emerged winner of the second UNIC Educational Services (UNICAF) Limited, essay competition.

Adeniruju, a writer and a documentary film-maker, who graduated in 2016, won alongside Victor Nwachukwu, 25, Asiboje Esereosonobrugwe, 22, Taiwo Isola, 28, and Onwuli Olive, 22, who emerged second, third, fourth and fifth position respectively.

Adeniruju got a full UNICAF scholarship for an online master’s degree with any UNICAF affiliated university of his choice and a laptop; while the four runners-up each received Android tablets and cash prizes of $500, $300, $200 and $100 respectively.
Speaking with THISDAY on the competition, the Marketing Manager, UNICAF Nigeria, Emmanuel Ebanehita said Nigerian citizens up to the age of 30 were asked to write on the contribution of young people in the national effort for development and progress, adding that the five winners were the best out of over 500 entries his organisation received.

“UNICAF is an online platform in Sub-Saharan Africa that offers higher education of international standard, accessible to Africans and school leavers. The response to the second UNICAF essay competition in Nigeria has been enthusiastic with over 500 essays submitted.”

He stressed the importance of quality higher education in empowering young people, making them more knowledgeable, efficient and employable, thereby increasing their contribution to the development of the country.

Ebanehita said most of the entries submitted for the competition, considered different aspects of the contribution of young people to national development and highlighted various problems such as poverty, limited access to quality higher education, widespread unemployment and lack of empowerment or of a sense of purpose faced by a large number of Nigerian youths today,

He commended the participants, saying that his organisation will continue to provide opportunities for young Nigerians to access quality higher education in an affordable and flexible manner, which can open the way towards the career and life of their dreams.

Explaining to THISDAY how he got to know about the competition, the visibly excited Adeniruju said he was searching the internet about two months ago when he found out about the scholarship. “What tickled my interest was the topic and then I decided to put together my creative energy to contest.”

On what stood him out, he said, “I write regularly before now and because I have been doing that for years, it wasn’t too much of a difficult task. Only the judges know why my essay stood out, but I think it also has to do with the effort, hard work and the creative experience I have got.”

He described his success as thrilling, saying that it was his first experience as an overall winner of an essay competition.

“Over the years, I have always been a runner-up. I feel grateful and excited through the journey of writing and emerging the first position.”